The pilgrimage on foot of Ambohimanga
Ambohimanga · Madagascar · La colina in therad
The hill of the merina kings
Ambohiga ("the beautiful and blue hill" in Malagasy) is a hill 24 km from Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. It was the real capital of the merina - the people who unified Madagascar in the 18th century - and it is the most sacred place in Malagasy history. It's declared UNESCO World Heritage Site (2001).
The Marian pilgrimage
On the hill of Ambohimanga there is also a small Marian sanctuary established by the Mission Fathers (Lazarists) in the 19th century. Every year, at the Feast of the Assumption (August 15) and on other Marian dates, thousands of Malagasy Catholics perform a peregrinación a pie to the top of the hill.
The pilgrimage combines Christian spirituality with Malagasy cultural elements: the pilgrims go barefoot in the last stretch, as a sign of respect for a sacred place. The combination of pilgrimage to a historically sacred place for Malagasy and Marian culture for Catholics is a remarkable example of inculturation.
The Virgin on the island of the lemures
Madagascar today has a Catholic community of almost 7 million people (25 per cent of the population), with a presence of over 200 years. Marian devotion is one of the most living forms of faith on the island: the basic ecclesial communities - called Antokon’ny Fanahy Masina- they pray the rosary every week as a central practice.
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