Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

"The Virgin of Copacabana: the statue of the Indian who did not surrender"

Copacabana (Bolivia) (1583)

On the shores of Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of over 3,800 meters, in a place steeped in religious significance since pre-Hispanic times, stands the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Copacabana, also known as the Virgin of Candelaria of Copacabana. It is one of the oldest sanctuaries in the Americas and the patron saint of Bolivia.

The cult dates back to around 1583. The image was carved by Francisco Tito Yupanqui, an indigenous man of Inca origin, who was baptized and raised in the Christian faith. He carved it from maguey wood and polychromed it. It is historically accepted that he was not an expert sculptor and that he had to improve the work over time; some sources indicate that he traveled to Potosí to perfect his carving skills before completing it.

These taunts, and the Virgin's apparition in a dream that supposedly encouraged him, are part of devotional memory and catechetical materials, but they are not always found in primary sources from that period; it is best to present them as tradition, not as proven fact. What is accepted, however, is the indigenous authorship of the image and the process of its refinement.

The development of the sanctuary is well documented: the current church dates from 1805, and on August 1, 1925, the Virgin was solemnly crowned "Queen of the Bolivian Nation" by papal bull of Pius XI. Her feast days are February 2, Candlemas, and August 5. The custom of leaving the sanctuary walking backward, so as not to turn one's back on the Virgin, is very cherished.