La Conquistadora (Our Lady of the Conquest or The Lady Conqueror) is a small wooden statue of The Virgin Mary that currently resides in St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was the first Madonna brought to what is now the United States. The statuette is carved out of wood, and measures at a height of nearly three feet. Her dark hair is covered by a veil, but can be seen and is nearly half the size of her body. The clothes she wears have changed over many years, but they are all rich in detail and very fine, often with elaborate designs. The closest estimate of her total outfits is close to 300. Her origins are not well-known, but the 15th and 17th centuries are the most likely possibilities. Her arrival into America was made possible by the Spanish, who carried several versions of The Virgin Mary with them on their travels. Although the exact date of the statue's arrival in America is unknown, the Madonna was brought to New Mexico by a priest, Frey Alonso de Benavides, c. 1625. La Conquistadora was not the statue's name at first; but rather, it was first known as Our Lady of the Assumption.
Each new generation gave The Virgin a new title, with the current title being given to her by Don Diego de Vargas after he had reclaimed the area of Santa Fe 12 years after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. He believed that La Conquistadora would help him in battle and offer assistance against the Native Americans who controlled the land. To give thanks to La Conquistadora, the Fiesta de Santa Fe is now held every August, in which she is carried to a different chapel and festivities occur. Another title was given to the statue in 1992, when Archbishop Robert Sanchez gave the name Our Lady of Peace.
Video La Conquistadora
Appearance
The statue of La Conquistadora is slightly less than three feet, at approximately 30 inches of height. Although her hair is mostly covered by a long veil, it can be seen as a dark brown, and long enough to rival her body's height. As she is a representation of the Virgin Mary, blue is the color that she is most often seen in, which also includes the color of her eyes. Gold is another color she is often seen in, such as her earrings. The outfits that she has worn are numerous; records state that they are somewhere in the 300s. The color scheme of each outfit varies, but the majority are often blue and white with gold trimmings. On her head lies a crown of gold, which possibly relates to the Assumption of the Madonna. As Mary passes on, she is taken to Heaven and given a golden crown for her position as queen of Heaven. In her arms lies a small figure; that of the infant Jesus Christ.
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Origin
La Conquistadora's point of origin still a topic of debate. Her true date of creation is unknown, but highly likely to be during the time of the Renaissance, which occurred from the 14th to 17th centuries. This date is bolstered by the child that La Conquistadora holds in her arms. The Maesta, also known as Madonna and Child, was a popular subject for Renaissance artists to replicate and create, from Cimabue to Leonardo da Vinci.
Journey to America
While the Americas were still in the process of being colonized, La Conquistadora was brought over c. 1625 by Fray Alonso de Benevides to Santa Fe de Nuevo México. This is when she referred to as Nuestra Señora de La Asunción (Our Lady of the Assumption). Her role would be as a figure of comfort for new colonists. This role would be short-lived, however, once she would become the traveling companion of future governor Don Diego de Vargas. Renamed La Conquisitadora, she was brought along by de Vargas as he would try to reclaim the land of New Mexico that were taken by the Pueblo peoples of the area. With her on his travels, de Vargas hoped that the lands would be taken back in a relatively bloodless manner.
Fiesta de Santa Fe
Following her permanent settlement in Santa Fe in 1694, a festival was enacted to celebrate the reclamation of the state. This annual thanksgiving procession continues today as the oldest Marian festival in the United States. La Conquistadora is carried in a procession from the Cathedral to Rosario Chapel, where masses are then held. Once finished, she is brought back and the festivities begin. Parades and mariachis are a common occurrence at the Festival. The highlight of the Fiesta de Santa Fe is the burning of "Zozobra", a 50 foot tall puppet that represents the problems and hardships of the previous year.
Renaming
La Conquistadora was given a new name in 1992; the Archbishop Robert Sanchez gave her the new title of Our Lady of Peace. She is also invoked as Our Lady of Conquering Love, which captures the spirit of the original title La Conquistadora.
Notes
References
- "About the Archdiocese of Santa Fe". www.archdiocesesantafe.org.
- Espinosa, J., Manuel. (1995). The Americas. Cambridge University Press. p. 111
- Henderson, Helene (2015). Holidays, Festivals & Celebrations of the World Dictionary: Detailing More Than 3,300 Observances From All 50 States and More Than 100 Nations. Omnigraphics, Inc. pp.
- History of La Conquistadora
- Houser, Sue (2011). La Conquistadora. Sunstone Press. p. 13.
- "La Conquistadora (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Source of article : Wikipedia
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