Our Lady of the Pillar

Patroness of Aragon

Devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar has its roots in one of the most beloved Marian traditions of Spain. According to pious tradition, set down in medieval documents (13th century) preserved in the cathedral of Zaragoza, the Virgin Mary appeared in mortal flesh to the apostle Saint James on the banks of the Ebro, upon a pillar of jasper, in the earliest days of the apostolic preaching; on that spot an oratory is said to have been raised, regarded by tradition as the «first church dedicated to the Virgin.» The Holy See approved the celebration of the Office of the Pillar, recognizing the apparition as an «ancient and pious belief,» that is, as a venerable tradition and not as a historically proven fact.

Ключові факти

Походження та історія

Devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar has its roots in one of the most beloved Marian traditions of Spain. According to pious tradition, set down in medieval documents (13th century) preserved in the cathedral of Zaragoza, the Virgin Mary appeared in mortal flesh to the apostle Saint James on the banks of the Ebro, upon a pillar of jasper, in the earliest days of the apostolic preaching; on that spot an oratory is said to have been raised, regarded by tradition as the «first church dedicated to the Virgin.» The Holy See approved the celebration of the Office of the Pillar, recognizing the apparition as an «ancient and pious belief,» that is, as a venerable tradition and not as a historically proven fact.

As for documented history, a careful distinction should be drawn. The oldest document that clearly speaks of the existence of the church is medieval, not apostolic. Marian devotion at the site is attested from the early medieval period, but there is no direct documentary proof of the supposed apostolic foundation. Thus the tradition of the Virgin’s coming belongs to the spiritual and devotional heritage, while what is documented is the antiquity and the unbroken Marian worship beside the Ebro.

The image and the shrine

The present image is a Gothic carving of around 1435, 36.5 cm in height, venerated in the Holy Chapel of the basilica. The jasper pillar on which it rests measures approximately 1.77 m in height and about 24 cm in diameter. The people of Zaragoza have long kept the custom of kissing or touching the pillar: a small part of the column is left exposed at the rear of the Holy Chapel so that the faithful may venerate it.

The church is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Basilica del Pilar), in the city of Zaragoza, the principal center of worship for this devotion. The basilica preserves numerous votive offerings and testimonies of favors attributed to the Virgin. Among the most widely known episodes is the fact, amply attested by the basilica itself and by historical literature, that three bombs dropped on the church during the Spanish Civil War did not explode; they are kept today, deactivated, as votive offerings. This is expressly noted as a commonly accepted historical fact, not as legend.

Patronage and coronation

She is the patroness of Aragon. She is also the patroness of the Guardia Civil and of other corps, and she is traditionally associated with the Hispanidad (the Hispanic world), a connection which in the civil sphere is a declaration in its own right and which, in ecclesial terms, is expressed as the memorial of Our Lady of the Pillar celebrated throughout Spain.

As for the canonical coronation, no specific year is recorded in the reliable sources, because this is an «illustrious» and most ancient image of unbroken worship, not fitting within the framework of modern coronations. The usual sources for Marian coronations do not record a solemn act of coronation in the contemporary manner; her standing rests on the antiquity of the worship and on liturgical recognition.

Feast and devotion

The principal feast is celebrated on 12 October, the festivity of Our Lady of the Pillar. Popular devotion is most intense: the basilica fills with votive offerings and thanksgivings for favors and miracles, and the custom of kissing the pillar shows the deep affection of the people for their Virgin. The day of 12 October, with the famous Offering of Flowers, is one of the great manifestations of Marian piety in Spain.

Link with the Rosary

In the Basilica del Pilar the Holy Rosary is regularly prayed, and popular devotion to the Pillar is deeply bound up with its praying. Nevertheless, no specifically «foundational» or singular Rosary confraternity linked to the origin of the devotion is recorded in the sources consulted. Zaragoza has historically had Rosary confraternities that have made pilgrimage to the Pillar, but no specific documented historical link is recorded in the sources reviewed.