Our Señora de Tiestas

Marian Invocation of Boyacá (Boyacá)

The advocation known popularly as Our Lady of the Tiest o Virgin of the Ties corresponds historically to Our Lady of the Rosary of the Star of Tutazá, venerated in the municipality of Turmeric, Boyacá department, Colombia. The presence of the image goes back to 17th century, when he would have been taken by Spanish Augustine missionaries, from the Quiteña school of sculpture. Since colonial times, the image was enthroned into a small doctrinal church and an intense local devotion was consolidated.

Main data

Origin and history

The advocation known popularly as Our Lady of the Tiest o Virgin of the Ties corresponds historically to Our Lady of the Rosary of the Star of Tutazá, venerated in the municipality of Turmeric, Boyacá department, Colombia. The presence of the image goes back to 17th century, when he would have been taken by Spanish Augustine missionaries, from the Quiteña school of sculpture. Since colonial times, the image was enthroned into a small doctrinal church and an intense local devotion was consolidated.

According to the tradition / legend25 July 1819, at the Pantano de Vargas batal, el Libertador Simón Bolívar, distressed by the imminent defeat, he called upon a Virgin whose advocation he did not remember, referring to her as the Virgin "of that people where they make these very nice little tiesites." From this episode he began to be called popularly Virgin of the Ties or "of the little weasels." The pious tradition states that the Virgin would have intervened by causing a fog that confused the realistic army and favored patriot victory. It is a devotional interpretation of a historical fact (the battle) illuminated by the Marian faith, but not verifiable in strictly historical terms.

En la documented historythe local Church, historians and chronists recognize the ancient existence of the image, its link with Tutazá and its devotional arraigo, as well as the symbolic relationship with the liberating gestures, to the point of being also known as Virgin of Freedom. The association with the work of the mud and the "tiestas" is part of the cultural identity of Tutazá: the town is recognized for its pottery tradition, from which comes the nickname given by Bolívar in the popular memory.

The image and the sanctuary

The advocation corresponds to an image of the Virgin of the Rosary, under the full title of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Star of Tutazá. The sources point out that this is a sculpture of the Quiteña school, taken by Augustine missionaries in the 17th century. No detailed details on the material (polychrome wood or other) are provided in the consulted sources, but due to the historical context and the mention to the Quiteña school can be inferred, with caution, that this is a traditional Andean size; however, as a technical data No explicitly stated. It is indicated that the image is "beautiful" and in style according to Baroque colonial art.

The image is venerated in the Parish Temple - Sanctuary of Our Lady of Freedomin Tutazá. There it is kept in a Baroque colonial altarpiecewhere the call is exposed Virgin of Tutazá. The sanctuary is located in the city centre of Tutazá and is associated with an ancient doctrinarian church, extended and consolidated as a regional Marian pilgrimage centre. It is not found in the consulted sources that this temple has the title of minor basilicaor that it has been declared National sanctuary; se le denomina sanctuary in the parish and diocesan context.

In the surroundings of the municipality, a "chapel" is also mentioned, linked to the Virgin and to the traditions of Romeria, located on a high street (La Capilla - El Páramo), where they are concentrated faithful in the patronal parties. However, it is not clear that this chapel has an official title different from that of the main sanctuary or a specific recognition as a national sanctuary.

Sponsorship and coronation

La Virgin of the Tiestas / Tiestecitos is recognized as patrona de Tutazá and he also calls it as Virgin of Freedomin relation to the memory of the liberating campaign in Boyacá. Several chronicles point out that Tutazá has become an important tourist and pilgrimage destination due to devotion to this Marian advocation.

As for a possible canonical coronation, the sources consulted (ecclesial chronicles, Catholic articles and institutional materials) no registran pontifical decree or formal act of canonical coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Star of Tutazá. It should therefore be stated that: does not contain a documented canonical coronation.

Party and devotion

The main celebrations in honor of this advocation are concentrated in two moments of the year. The first Sunday of February y el last Sunday of October, when the faithful of Tutazá and of the surrounding populations come in Rome to honor the Virgin of the Rosary of the Star, known as the Virgin of the Tiestecitos. These days are considered the employers' parties of the municipality and record the largest influx of devotees and tourists.

Devotion is characterized by a strong rural and popular feature: processions, solemn masses, thanksgiving prayers for favors received and a marked relationship with the local pottery identity (the mud "tiestas"). The Virgin is invoked as an intercessor in the face of personal, family and community difficulties, and as a protector of freedom and peace, in memory of the story linked to the Pantano de Vargas. The documents indicate that, at these parties, Tutazá becomes a important destination of regional pilgrimagewithout providing exact flow figures.

Link to the Rosary

The original title of the advocation is Our Lady of the Rosary of the Star of Tutazáwhich directly and essentially links it to the prayer of the Rosary. The image represents the Virgin of the Rosary and the sanctuary itself is identified as a place of special promotion of this Marian prayer; the patronal celebrations are usually integrated with the meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary, as a traditional practice in the popular piety of Boyacense. Although the sources do not detail concrete schemes (novies del Rosario, holy hours with Rosario, etc.), the rosarian character of the title allows to affirm an organic relationship between the advocation and this form of prayer.

Beyond the specific data, the Rosary appears as a ordinary road by which the faithful of Tutazá assume the grateful memory of God's action in history: both in the daily life of the field and in the great national events evoked by tradition (the battle of the Vargas Pantano). By contemplating, with Mary, the mysteries of Christ, the believing community integrates its own history - marked by the work of the mud, the struggles for freedom and the hope of peace - on the horizon of salvation. When no specific details of local rosarian practices are preserved, it can be said, in general Marian key, that the Rosario is the privileged form with which this devotion is nourished by the faith of the Church and is kept alive in the families and pilgrims who come to the Virgin of the Tiestas.