Our Lady of the Tucuman Market

Marian Advocation of San Miguel de Tucumán (Tucumán)

La advocación de Our Lady of the Tucuman Market is part of the great merchant tradition born in the 13th century with the foundation of the Order of the Merced in Barcelona, linked to the Virgin of the Merced as Mother of the redemption of captives.

Main data

Origin and history

La advocación de Our Lady of the Tucuman Market is part of the great merchant tradition born in the 13th century with the foundation of the Order of the Merced in Barcelona, linked to the Virgin of the Merced as Mother of the redemption of captives.

En San Miguel de Tucumán The Mercedary presence is ancient: on the site where today the basilica stands there was a colonial temple of the Order of the Merced, then replaced by a church of classicist imprint in the 1870s. This temple was closed in 1914 due to structural deficiencies and, subsequently, the current building of late neo-colonial style was erected, whose opening was held 24 September 1950. The whole (church and shrimp of the Virgin) is today National Historical Place by decree No. 4.959 / 1972.

From the historical - documented point of view, the decisive fact for this advocation is the Battle of Tucumán (September 24, 1812). According to the official documents, the general Manuel Belgrano He entrusted the army to the Virgin of the Merced before the fight in the place where today the sanctuary is located. After the victory, Belgrano gave him his command staff and recognized her as "Army General", a gesture that is reflected in the historical tradition and the civics-religious memory of the city.

From then on, civic and religious veneration was consolidated: 1813 the Cabildo of Tucumán asked that Our Lady of the Mercedes vice-patron of the city be declared, and by ecclesiastical decree of the 4 September 1813 was declared festive on September 24 in his honor. The 31 August 1843 was officially declared Vice-patronage de Tucumán, with the obligation to celebrate solemn Mass and annual procession as a thanksgiving.

As for the tradition and the popular memory, the providential character of the victory of Tucumán and the special protection of the Virgin over the people and the Argentine army is emphasized, which piety has expressed by calling it "Virgin Generala" and "Patroness of Tucumán," although these titles, in their devotional use, sometimes exceed strict canonical formulas and are based on the patriotic history and gratitude of the people.

The image and the sanctuary

La image venerated is that of the Virgin Mary under the advocation of Our Lady of the Merced, known as the "Virgin Generala" by the command staff delivered by Belgrano. The sources consulted highlight that it is the historical image who accompanied the events of 1812 and who is held in a shrimp especially dedicated within the temple. They do not include in the sources consulted, with documentary certainty, the material and the technical details of the size (wood, polychrome, etc.), so at this point no consta a reliable detailed description.

El sanctuary es la Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Merced, headquarters of Parroquia La Victoria, in the center of San Miguel de Tucumán. The current building is from late neo-colonial style and presents two high towers on the facade. Inside is the shrimp where the historical image is venerated. Since 2009 the temple has held the title of Minor Basilicaand is officially recognized as sanctuary who houses the image of the Virgin. In addition, the whole has been declared National Historical Place by the Argentine Nation.

The basilica is located on the street 24 of September 253, a few meters from the Cathedral, in the historic centre of the city. It is considered one of the most important temples in the province and a key point of Tucuman religious tourism.

Sponsorship and coronation

En el ámbito religiousOur Lady of the Tucuman Market is closely linked to the Argentine Army. The founding gesture is the vote of Manuel Belgrano after the Battle of Tucuman (1812), when he gave him his command staff and proclaimed it Army General.

This recognition also had a subsequent legal development: decree of the President of the Nation Pedro P. Ramírez, del 22 June 1943, it was stated that "they are recognized with the degree of General of the Argentine Army: the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the apvocation of Our Lady of the Mercedes, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the apvocation of Our Lady of Carmen. "In 1945the National Government has designated Our Lady of the Mercedes as Chief Pattern of Military Aeronautics.

At the local ecclesial level, it was recognized as Vice-patron of the city of Tucumán in 1843, with his own feast on 24 September, celebrated with solemn mass and procession. The sources consulted do not contain an explicit statement, at the strict canonical level, that the name formally Patrona principal of the city or of the diocese, although in devotional and tourist language it is presented as "patron of Tucumán."

On the coronation, it is clear that, at the end of the centenary of the battle, the image of Our Lady of the Mercedes was solemnly crowned in 1912on behalf of the Pope Saint Pius X. The sources indicate that it was a coronation with a pontifical delegation, linked to the commemoration of the centenary of Tucumán's victory.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of the Merced in Tucumán is celebrated the September 24, a date commemorating the Battle of Tucuman (1812) and the protection attributed to the Virgin. By ecclesiastical decree of September 4, 1813, 24 September was declared a festive day in honor of Our Lady of the Mercedes, and in 1843 the annual celebration of solemn mass and procession was ordered with the assistance of the public authorities.

La devoción popular is expressed in a special way in the Annual procession with the image of the Virgin through the streets of the city, which commemorates the historical gestures and renews the vow of gratitude. The procession and liturgical celebrations bring together a large number of faithful, civil and military, although the sources consulted do not provide exact figures of influx, so no consta a precise numéric data.

The sanctuary is a Permanent focus of pilgrimage During the year: the faithful come to ask for the intercession of the Virgin for the homeland, for the armed and air forces, for the city and for the families. The title "Virgin Generala" and the links with the Army and Aeronautics mark a devotional feature of their own: the Virgin is invoked not only as a Mother of mercy, which is typical of the merchant tradition, but also as a protector in the struggles and trials of social and national life.

Link to the Rosary

The specific sources on the advocation of Our Lady of the Tucumán Market do not explicitly mention a particular practice of the Rosary of this sanctuary (as co-fradies of the Rosary or historical promises linked to this prayer), so, at this point, no consta a unique documented tradition linked to the prayer of the Rosary in relation to this image.

However, as in most Marian shrines in Argentina, the Rosary