April 27 Virgen de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain (12th cent.)

April 27 Virgen de Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain (12th cent.)
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According to legend, the first image of the Virgin of Montserrat was found by shepherd children in the year 880 . After seeing a light in the mountains, the children found the image of the Virgin in a cave. Upon hearing the news, the Bishop of Manresa attempted to move the image to the city, but the transfer was impossible because the statue was too heavy. The bishop took it as the desire of the Virgin of stay in place where you had found and ordered the construction of the chapel of St. Mary, origin of the present monastery. It is said that the black color of the face of the Virgin and Child is due to candles that were lit in her honor inside the cave where she was.
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The photograph is a Romanesque of the twelfth century in wood of poplar . It represents the Virgin with the child Jesus sitting on her lap and measures about 95 inches tall. In her right hand she holds a sphere symbolizing the universe; the Child has His right hand raised in blessing while the left hand holds a pineapple. The flesh tones are black, which has given the popular nickname of The Black Madonna. It belongs to the group of so-called Black Madonnas that spanned both the Romanesque Europe and whose meaning has led to multiple studies. Although in this case the color seems to be the result of the transformation of the varnish on her face and hands because of the passage of time.
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The Virgin of Montserrat was the first Marian image of Spain in receiving the Canonical Coronation in 1881 , followed by the Our Lady of Mercy in Barcelona ( 1886 ), the Virgen de la Candelaria in Tenerife , Canary Patron ( 1889 ), the Virgin Kings of Seville ( 1904 ) and Our Lady of Mercy of Reus ( 1904 ).
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In Spain there are other black virgins known by the name of "brown" like the Virgin of Guadalupe , the Virgen de la Cabeza ( Jaén ), the Virgin of Lluc ( Mallorca ), the Virgin of Candelaria ( Tenerife ) or Virgin Argeme ( Coria ) and Our Lady of Velia (Bimenes), Asturias.