Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Cabeza

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Cabeza hill with pilgrimage church

The pilgrimage church of the Virgen de la Cabeza Basilica is located in the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park north of the city of Andújar in the Jaén province ( Spain ).

history

The pilgrimage church goes back to a picture of Mary, which according to legend comes from the apostles, due to the way of painting it could be from the 5th century. During the Moorish occupation it is said to have been hidden on the El Cabeza mountain. Through an apparition of Mary , a shepherd was led to the image according to which the church was built. The Virgen del Cabeza is also venerated in other cities as far as South America.

The sanctuary was built between 1287 and 1304 on the hill of La Cabeza in Gothic style. At the end of the 16th century it was expanded to its present size. The beginnings of the traditional procession on the first Sunday of April are believed to have been around this time. Since 1930, the worship has taken place all year round. It is one of the oldest pilgrimages in Spain.

The venerated statue of the Virgin Mary was canonically crowned by decree of Pope Pius X on March 18, 1909 and declared the patron saint of Andújar. Pope John XXIII she declared November 27, 1959 to continue to be the patroness of the Diocese of Jaén .

Siege in the Spanish Civil War

After the failed takeover of power in the province of Jaén during the Spanish Civil War , putschists , a total of 165 members of the Guardia Civil with civilians and members of the clergy , together around 1200 people, withdrew to the pilgrimage church Asedio del Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la on August 18, 1936 Cabeza back. They were mainly citizens of the city of Andújar .

After a siege by local militias for several months, the commander Major Nofuentes decided to surrender. However, he was removed from command by Santiago Cortés.

Republican troops tried from April 30, 1937 with the local militia of Jaén , the 16th Mixed Brigade and the XII. International Brigade with the Dąbrowski Battalion to take the pilgrimage church.

On May 1, 1937, the sanctuary was captured by republican troops due to the preparatory artillery bombardment in which the captain Santiago Cortes of the Civil Guard was fatally injured. The pilgrimage church was completely destroyed by the artillery bombardment. This was filmed in 1949 with El santuario no se rinde (German: "The pilgrimage church does not give up").

basilica

The sanctuary was rebuilt after the civil war until 1943 and became the parish church for the surrounding courtyards. President José María Aznar attended the Church in 1998 for Sunday services. In 2009 the sanctuary received the Golden Rose from Pope Benedict XVI. bestowed, who in 2010 made the church a minor basilica . On July 3, 2011, the new altar was consecrated by Manuel López in the basilica.

literature

  • Hugh Thomas : The Spanish Civil War , Ullstein Verlag, 1967, page 329

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Cofradía Virgen de la Cabeza; Historia . Cofradía Virgen de la Cabeza. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  2. ↑ a b History of the Sanctuary (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Basílica y Real Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza on gcatholic.org
  4. ↑ José Carlos González: Devoción que gana en espiritualidad. July 4, 2011, Retrieved September 13, 2019 (Spanish).

Coordinates: 38 ° 18 '33 "  N , 4 ° 3' 50"  W.