The Rosary of Cidade Velha: the first Marian bridge in Africa
Cidade Velha · Cape Verde · The oldest Marian site in sub-Saharan Africa
In Cidade Velha (Santiago, Cape Verde), the first European colonial city in the tropics, is the parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary, built in the 15th century. It is the oldest Marian temple in sub-Saharan Africa and the starting point of devotion to the Rosary throughout the continent.
Old Town: from where Africa meets Europe
Cidade Velha, originally called Ribeira Grande de Santiago, was founded in 1462 by the Portuguese on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It was the first European colonial city established in the tropics and became a key point of the Atlantic route: trade, exploration and, unfortunately, slave trade.
In this context, the Catholic faith came to Africa by the hands of the Portuguese colonizers. The parish church of Our Lady of the Rosary was built in the late 15th century, making it the oldest Marian temple in sub-Saharan Africa. It is not the largest or most beautiful church, but its antiquity makes it a place of historical pilgrimage.
The stone baptistery
The most remarkable element of the church is its stone baptisterywhere the first Africans converted to Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa were baptized. This baptistery is an object of pilgrimage for the Caboverdian Catholics and for the historians of African evangelization.
Cape Verde was, paradoxically, the first place where Christianity met Africa south of the Sahara and the first place where the slave trade was organized on an industrial scale. The church of the Rosary is a witness to this double story.
UNESCO heritage
In 2009, Cidade Velha was registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, recognizing its historical importance as the first European colonial city in the tropics. The church of the Rosary is part of this heritage set.
The devotion to the Rosary in Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a Catholic majority country (over 90 per cent), an exception in Muslim West Africa. The devotion to the Rosary is central to the Caboverdite spirituality: the families pray the Rosary at home, the co-fradies of the Rosary organize processions, and the image of Our Lady of the Rosary is present in homes, schools and hospitals throughout the archipelago.