Our Lady of the Good Air

Marian title of Buenos Aires City (Buenos Aires)

La advocación de Our Lady of the Good Air (also called Santa María del Buen Aire / de los Buenos Aires / del Buen Ayre) is of origin sardo, historically linked to the shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria in Cagliari, Sardinia, whose name went to the Spanish forms "Buen Aire" and "Buenos Aires." The name of the future city rioplasse is inspired by this Marian title: in 1536 Peter of Mendoza founded the Port of Our Lady Santa María del Buen Aire, and in 1580 John of Garay regains the name in the definitive foundation as "City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Santa Maria del Buen Ayre."

Main data

Origin and history

La advocación de Our Lady of the Good Air (also called Santa María del Buen Aire / de los Buenos Aires / del Buen Ayre) is of origin sardo, historically linked to the shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria in Cagliari, Sardinia, whose name went to the Spanish forms "Buen Aire" and "Buenos Aires." The name of the future city rioplasse is inspired by this Marian title: in 1536 Peter of Mendoza founded the Port of Our Lady Santa María del Buen Aire, and in 1580 John of Garay regains the name in the definitive foundation as "City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Santa Maria del Buen Ayre."

En la documented historyit is noted that the advocation of Our Lady of Good Air already existed in the Mediterranean in the XIV-XV century, linked to the sailors, and that in the 16th century there was in Seville a Confraternity of Our Lady of Good Air, made up of seafarers. From this context of navigators is understood the rapid transfer of the title to the expeditions that cross the Atlantic into the Rio de la Plata. The litigation fiesta general of the Virgin of the Good Air the 24 April, according to sources of marine synthesis and the tradition itself collected in devotional fields.

In the field of tradition or legend, various popular exhibitions report episodes of storms in the sea or in the Rio de la Plata, in which the sailors invoke the Virgin of the Good Air and, as they are released from danger, they enter an image in a sign of gratitude. However, these pious accounts do not always have precise historical documentation (dates, names of ships, minutes), so they must be carefully distinguished from verifiable data. For the specific case of the Buenos Aires City (Buenos Aires Department) in Colombiathe information available is very limited: the sources consulted treat the advocation in general and link it to the Argentine city and the Sardo origin, but do not provide specific historical data or own chronology the development of the cult in this Colombian town.

The image and the sanctuary

Historical sources describe in detail the original image of the Madonna di Bonaria in Cagliari (Italy), a size of wood, of lump, with Child Jesus in arms, linked to a tradition of salvation of shipwrecks. However, as regards the venerated image in the Basilica of Our Lady of Buenos Aires, in the Caballito district, which is the main current urban reference of this advocation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the press only indicates that it is a basilica dedicated to this Marian advocation, without offering an iconographic or technical description of the image (material, size, author, date). A specific description of a own image of Our Lady of the Good Air for the Buenos Aires City in Colombia, so it cannot be strictly stated how the size or image there is venerated: no consta.

With regard to the temple, in the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina) there is the Basilica of Our Lady of Buenos Aireslocated at the intersection of Gaona and Espinosa, in the Caballito district, recognized as minor basilica and dedicated expressly to this vocation. The sources point to this temple as a current center of worship for the Virgin of Good Air, without offering more architectural details or its institutional history (date of erection as basilica, style, dimensions).

As for the Buenos Aires City (Buenos Aires Department, Colombia)the available sources do not mention a specific Marian sanctuary or an official temple title (parish, diocesan or national sanctuary) dedicated to Our Lady of Good Air in that locality: no consta a sanctuary formally recognized under that title in Colombia in the documentation consulted.

Sponsorship and coronation

From the general point of view of the advocation, Our Lady of the Good Air is recognized as Patrona de la provincia de Buenos Aires y de Sardiniaand patron of sailors and sailorsand also patron of the Seminary of Seville. This maritime dimension of patronage is explained by its roots among the people of the sea, which invoked it as a protector against storms and dangers of navigation.

No mention of a patronazgo eclesiástico propio (diocese, city or municipality) for the Buenos Aires City in Colombia; Colombian sources consulted on Marian advocacy do not record a specific patronal title in the name of Our Lady of Good Air for this location: no consta.

As regards a canonical coronationthe sources on the advocation in general and on the basilica of Buenos Aires do not mention an act of pontifical canonical coronation or specifically delegated for "Nuestra Señora del Buen Aire" in Buenos Aires (Argentina), nor for an image in the City of Buenos Aires (Colombia). Therefore, according to the available data, does not contain a documented canonical coronation of the image under this title neither in the Colombian town nor expressly linked to the basilica of Caballito.

Party and devotion

The sources of Marian synthesis and dissemination agree that the main party de Our Lady of the Good Air se celebra el 24 April. This date has been spread as a liturgical or devotional day of the advocation, even if locally it can also be celebrated on other dates by custom (for example, in some places it is associated with celebrations of December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, with which the theological matter of the image is often identified).

The devotion is strongly marked by the marine memory: is invoked as a protector of ships, ports and sailors, and its cult expanded from cofradies of sailors and port chaplains. In the rioplatense area, its relationship with the first founders and sailors who named the port and the city of Buenos Aires is highlighted. However, with regard to pilgrimages, inflow of faithful and specific popular traditions en la Buenos Aires City, Colombia, the sources consulted do not provide dataThere are no statistics on pilgrims, local processions or specific customs for 24 April in this town.

En la Basilica of Our Lady of Buenos Aires (Caballito, Argentina), Mass and activities are held in honor of the Virgin, but the available journalistic sources are limited to mentioning the existence of the basilica as a temple dedicated to this advocation, without detailing its own calendar, the number of pilgrims or the concrete forms of devotion (processions, novenas, promises). Therefore, with regard to the specific devotional dimension in the indicated Colombian town, it can only be said with rigour that the general feast of the advocation is located on April 24without further documented local details.

Link to the Rosary

The historical and devotional sources of Our Lady of the Good Air highlight their relationship with the marine world and the history of the city of Buenos Aires, but do not explicitly mention a particular or institutionalized link between this advocation and the prayer of the Rosary (for example, co-fradies of the Rosary under this title, specific indulgences, or rosarine sanctuaries linked to the Virgin of Good Air).

In the absence of documented data, it can be said, in general, that devotion to Our Lady of Good Air is inserted into the common Marian spirituality of the Church, en la que el Rosary is a privileged place as contemplative prayer of the mysteries of Christ