Our Lady of the Rosary of Santo Domingo of Lima, venerated in the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo of Lima

Marian devotion of Lima (Lima)

La advocación de Our Lady of the Rosary of Santo Domingo of Lima from the very origins of the city to the presence of the Order of Preachers in the capital of Peru. The Dominican convent was the first to be established in Lima and its opening was held in 1540, already under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Basilica and Convent, popularly known as "Santo Domingo," form an architectural complex erected in the historical centre of Lima, and are under the title of the Virgin of the Rosary as the temple holder.

Main data

Origin and history

La advocación de Our Lady of the Rosary of Santo Domingo of Lima from the very origins of the city to the presence of the Order of Preachers in the capital of Peru. The Dominican convent was the first to be established in Lima and its opening was held in 1540, already under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Basilica and Convent, popularly known as "Santo Domingo," form an architectural complex erected in the historical centre of Lima, and are under the title of the Virgin of the Rosary as the temple holder.

According to the tradition pious, the image of the Virgin of the Rosary would have been given to Lima by the king Charles I of Spain and V of Germany. This size, considered by some authors as "the oldest image of Peru," would have accompanied the emergence of the city and its history since the 16th century. However, this data is preserved in the context of devotional tradition and no conclusive historical documentation on the region's shipment is available.

En la documented historythe image was the subject of special veneration by great Peruvian saints: Saint Rose of Lima, San Martín de Porres and also Saint Toribio of Mogrovejo, Archbishop of Lima, are linked to this temple and devotion to the Virgin of the Rosary. In the face of this image, Saint Rosa prayed and, according to the mystical tradition collected by various sources, he received there the "spiritual desolation" with Christ. Over the centuries, Lima repeatedly went to the Virgin of the Rosary in the face of earthquakes, epidemics and public calamities, consolidating its reputation as a protector of the city and the country.

The image and the sanctuary

The image of Our Lady of the Rosary venerated in Santo Domingo is described as a beautiful size of the Virgin who carries the Child Jesus in her arms. This is an image of a Spanish-style package of the 16th century (data generally accepted by devotional historiography, although without complete technical specification in the sources consulted). The Virgin appears as Mother and Queen, with the Child in his arms, and is iconographically associated with the Holy Rosary, even though the available descriptions focus more on his character as patron of Peru and the Order of Preachers than on detailed details of his polychrome or materials. The specific type of wood or sculptural technique used is not explicitly recorded in the sources consulted, so this is considered no consta.

The sanctuary is the Minor Basilica and Maximum Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary, popularly known as Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo, in the historic center of Lima. It is an architectural complex of great historical and artistic relevance, headquarters of the Convent of the Most Holy Rosary of the Dominicans of Peru. Inside is the altarpiece of the left transept dedicated to the Patroness of Lima and temple headline, Our Lady of the Rosary. The whole was also a place where the University of San Marcos, considered the oldest in America, began to function in the 16th century. The temple has a range of minor basilica and remains a living center of worship, with masses, triduous and celebrations organized by the Basilica of the Most Holy Rosary.

Sponsorship and coronation

Our Lady of the Rosary of Santo Domingo of Lima is recognized as Patrona del Perú. Various sources point out that it was declared Patrona and Protectora de los Reinos del Perú by Viceroy Peter of Toledo and Leyva, Marquis of Mancera, in October 1643. In this way, their patronage exceeds the local level to cover the whole of the old virenate. In addition, it is mentioned as Pattern of the Order of Preachers in Peru. At the local level, the image is also traditionally venerated as Patrona de Limagiven its roots in the city and the title given to it by the temple itself in its altarpiece.

As for the canonical coronation, devotion concluded liturgically the 2 October 1927, when the image was crowned solemnly and canonically in the Cathedral of Lima. The coronation was performed by the then Archbishop of Lima, Mons. Emilio Lissón and Chávezin the presence of the President of Peru, Augusto B. Leguíaand all the bishops of the country. The ecclesial and devotional sources coincide on the date and in the protagonism of Archbishop Lyson as the delegate of the Holy See for this act, which is recognized as canonical coronation.

Party and devotion

La main party of Our Lady of the Rosary is currently celebrated the 7 Octoberin accordance with the liturgical calendar of the universal Church. In the context of the Convent of Santo Domingo, the Basilica of the Most Holy Rosary organizes triduals, solemn masses and other celebrations in honor of the Virgin, as reflected in the programming of the Basilica itself. There is no precise number of pilgrims in the sources consulted, so this is considered no consta.

Historically, the city of Lima went to this image in processions and public begging for serious calamities, especially during the 1746 earthquake, a fact that reinforced his fame as a protector and taumaturga. The devotion is expressed in processions, novies, triduals and an intense daily veneration, both of the faithful and of pilgrims who visit the convent and the museum of Santo Domingo, where it stands out expressly to the "Virgin of the Rosary, Patroness of Peru." The presence of relics of Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres in the same monastic set reinforces the spiritual character of the place and its devotional attraction.

Link to the Rosary

The relationship of this advocation with the prayer of the Rosary is direct and essential: the convent itself bears the title of Most Holy Rosaryand the image is venerated as Our Lady of the Rosary, patron of the Order of Preachers, to which tradition attributes the expansion of this Marian prayer. The devotion to the image has been linked, over the centuries, to the practice of the Rosary as a form of intercession for the city, the country and the faithful who come to the sanctuary.

While the sources consulted do not detail specific schemes of co-fradies or specific times of community prayer of the Rosary, the Dominican character of the convent, the official title of the convent and the same advocation allow to affirm that the Rosary is the core of the Marian spirituality that is lived there. The Rosary, by contemplating the mysteries of Christ's life in union with Mary, becomes the privileged way in which the faithful of Lima and Peru approach Our Lady of the Rosary of Santo Domingo, trusting in her sponsorship of the Church, the nation and the personal needs of each devotee.