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Photo by George P.
Thresher titled "Church on the Hill". Malcolm Lubliner
Collection. All rights reserved. |
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The setting for story of the photo "Church on the Hill" is
the site of the famous Mexican shrine of "Nuestra Señora de
Guadalupe" (Our Lady of Guadalupe), also called "La Virgen
de Guadalupe". This shrine is a symbol of significant importance
to Catholics, especially Mexican Catholics. The Virgin Mary as she
appeared there has been given the title "Patroness of the Americas",
and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the second
most visited Catholic shrine in the world. The Blessed Virgin appeared
on a hilltop called Tepeyac on the outskirts of Mexico City to Juan
Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, a poor Indian, on December 9th, 10th and 12th,
of the year 1531. She left a miraculous image of her appearance on
his cactus fiber cloak, or "tilma", which still exists
today for all to see in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe which
is near the church that Thresher shows in his photo. As a matter
of fact it looks like Mr. Thresher took his photograph from the roof
of the Old Basilica. The church in the photograph is commonly called "La
Capilla del Cerrito" in Spanish which means "The Chapel
on the Little Hill". The tall item to the right of the church
that looks like the mast and sails of a ship is exactly that only
the sails are made of stone. It is known as "Las Velas del Marino" (The
Sails of the Seafarer) and is sometimes just referred to as Las Velas
de Piedra (The Stone Sails).
At the time the photo was taken there were
seven main elements to the Guadalupe Shrine. The Capilla del Cerrito
and Velas del Marino I have already mentioned. In addition there
were the Basilica Antigua (Old Basilica), Convento de Capuchinas
(Convent of Franciscan Nuns), Antigua Parroquia de Indios (Old
Church of the Indians), Capilla del Pocito, and the Panteón (Cemetery).
I won't go into detail about all of these items except to note
that they are all part of the Virgen de Guadalupe pilgrimage experience.
The Capilla del Cerrito was built on the spot where Juan Diego
first saw the Virgin Mary. It was originally built in 1666 by a
Mexico City baker named Cristóbal de Aguirre and his wife Teresa
Pelegrina. It was just a small chapel and was rebuilt much larger
in 1749. In the front and to the sides leading below you can see
the path called "Súbida de Tepeyac" or "The
going up to Tepeyac". Over the centuries millions of people
have gone up this path on their knees. The façade of the second building
was not finished until 1950 so there are some differences between
the Chapel façade in Thresher's photo and the Chapel façade of today.
You can see this in a comparison photo that I made below.
The thing that I find most fascinating about the Thresher photo
is the Stone Sails. They were constructed at about the same time
that the Capilla del Pocito (Chapel of the Little Well) was constructed
in 1791. This structure covers the well where the Virgin caused water
to spring forth. It will be the subject of my next Thresher photograph.
The story surrounding the Stone Sails usually involves a lost mariner
or mariners who prayed to the Virgin for safety on the storm tossed
ocean and made a vow to carry their mast and foresail to Tepeyac
as a votive to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Various travelers over the
years have written about it and I have included here some of what
they wrote.
The following excerpt is from a book written
by Colonel Albert S. Evans published in 1873 by the Columbian Book
Company and entitled "OUR
SISTER REPUBLIC: A Gala Trip Through Tropical Mexico in 1869-70".
"From the church a winding pathway
leads up the steep face of the rocky hill to the chapel on the
summit where the Virgin first appeared to Juan Diego. Halfway up
the hill is a curious structure of stone, plastered and whitewashed,
which represents the sails, mast, and yard of a ship. In fact,
the mast of a ship is said to really be built into the masonry.
This was erected many years ago by a pious old Spanish rover, who
in the hour of mortal peril on the Spanish Main vowed to the Virgin,
that if she would enable him to tack, and prevent his galleon going
on the rocks, he would do this in her honor; she did it; and he
kept his word like a man and a Christian."
From "Travels in Mexico and Life Among the Mexicans" by
Frederick A Ober published in 1884 by J. Dewing & Company:
"On the side of the hill, half-way
to the chapel, is a monument in stone and mortar to one man's devotion,
in the shape of the mast and sails of a ship. Caught at sea in
a storm, a sailor vowed he would build a stone ship to the glory
of the Virgin, if allowed to escape to land. Once safe ashore,
either his funds or his piety failed him, since he got no farther
than the foremast. And there it stands today, the only stone effigy
in existence perhaps, of a ship, or part of one, of so large a
size."
From "Mexico as I saw it" by Mrs. Alec Tweedie, published
in London by Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1911:
"At the back of the principal church
is a strange stairway, leading to the Chapel on the Hill (Capilla
del Cerrito). This ascent is composed of very wide stone steps,
of which there are some hundreds, that conduct from the Chapel
of the Well containing the sacred water, at the bottom of the hill,
to the small church on the top. It is up these steps that devout
pilgrims crawl on their hands and knees. There are several little
shrines in the walls; but the most curious object of all is the
monument known as the Stone Sails. That sails should be composed
of stone is indeed a paradox; but such is the case. They stand
about 30 or 40 feet high, and are really three sails - one on top
of the other - carved in solid stone. They are not particularly
picturesque, but the position in which they are placed is so prominent
that they can be seen for miles around. The story of these sails,
which were a votive offering, is as follows:- Some sailors, who were
overtaken by a terrible storm, and on the verge of shipwreck, offered
up a prayer to the Lady of Guadalupe for preservation. They vowed
that if this miracle was vouchsafed, they would take the mast of
their ship and set it up as a votive offering on the hill which is
sacred to her memory. The ship and her crew were saved, and the men
carried out their promise; but so miraculous was their escape that
money was subscribed to erect something of a more lasting nature
than a wooden mast, and accordingly these strange looking Stone Sails
were put up in token of gratitude, and as evidence of the wonderful
power of the Sacred Lady."
I have searched and searched for a record
of who this sailor or sailors might be and then I found a book
written by an Italian Franciscan Friar who journeyed to Mexico
in 1761. The manuscript for this book was sitting in some obscure
library until it was brought to light only recently and translated
into English. It is entitled "Daily
Life in Colonial Mexico - The Journey of Friar Ilarione da Bergamo
1761-1768 (University of Oklahoma Press). Here is an excerpt from
Friar Bergamo's tale:
"The following day was set aside for
fulfilling the vow we made during the tremendous storm. So all
those from our ship who had gone ashore, including myself, readied
themselves at the pier. From those remaining on board came the
chaplain with the captain, pilot, and others carrying the foremast
sail with them. We set out barefoot in a procession to the Church
of the Divine Shepherdess, where mass was sung by the aforementioned
chaplain. After the foresail was deposited, everyone went about
their business."
The date would have been about right but
the problem is that Friar Bergamo said nothing about carrying the
foremast sail all the way to Tepeyac in the capital of New Spain.
The Stone Sails became quite famous over the years and a model
of them was included in the Mexican exhibit at the World's Columbian
Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Here is an excerpt from "The Book of the Fair":
"Entering the Mexican section near
the United States exhibit of vehicles, we are confronted with the
typical horseman of our sister republic, with wide sombrero and
mounted on a profusely caparisoned steed. Near by are specimens
of saddlery and wagon work, both of skillful execution. In one
of the corners is a replica of the so-called stone sails near the
summit of the hill of Guadalupe, in the neighborhood of which stands
the temple of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whither, as the legend runs,
a party of shipwrecked sailors, in fulfillment of a vow, bore the
foremast of their ship, planting the transformed emblem of their
devotion where now it stands. Of this curiosity there is an exact
reproduction by the Mexican National railroad, except that it is
some twenty feet lower than the original."
I have my own theory about the Stone Sails.
I believe it is a monument to “Stella Maris”, the “Star of the
Sea”. This is an ancient title for the Blessed Virgin, used by
seafarers and others associated with the sea. Just as seafarers
have traditionally depended on the stars for navigation, so they
trust in the protection and guidance of the Blessed Virgin. Pope
John Paul II acknowledged the special needs of sailors and immigrants
and wrote a "motu proprio" about
Stella Maris. A motu proprio (Latin "on his own impulse")
is an Apostolic letter issued by the Pope on his own initiative and
personally signed by him. Here is an excerpt from that motu propio:
"'Star of the Sea' has long been the
favorite title by which seafaring people have called on her in
whose protection they have always trusted: the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Jesus Christ, her Son, accompanied his disciples in their boat,
helped them in their labors and calmed the storms. Thus the Church
also accompanies seamen, taking care of the specific spiritual
needs of those who for various reasons live and work in the maritime
world."
My theory is that many sailors brought
votives in the form of sails and pieces of their ship to the Virgen
de Guadalupe to give thanks for safe passage. They came from both
Veracruz in the East and from Acapulco in the West where the Manila
Galleons from the orient trade landed. There was a "land bridge
from Acapulco to Veracruz and all of the gold and spices and other
trade goods that crossed Mexico back and forth between both places
would have passed right by Tepeyac starting about 1565. I think
that the Stone Sails were erected by architect Francisco Antonio
Guerrero y Torres and his volunteer masons at the same time the
Chapel of the Well was built in 1791 in order to consolidate the
various votives of the sailors into one great monument to Stella
Maris. I am going to maintain that opinion until I encounter reliably
documented information to the contrary.
Although there was a small Mexican exhibit at the Philadelphia Centennial
in 1876, Mexico's attendance at New Orleans constituted the first
major effort to portray itself as a modern nation on the world stage.
Some people claim that the Kiosco Morisco was used at the Exposición
Internacional de París in1889 and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
World's Fair in St. Louis in 1904 but I can find no evidence of this.
Mexico did participate in these fairs but the exhibits were larger
and completely different. I believe that one of the reasons that
people think the Kiosco Morisco was used again in Paris and St. Louis
was that flattering promotional material from the New Orleans exhibition
was used to create advance promotional material for future fairs.
Mexico also participated in the Chicago exhibition of 1893 and the
Buffalo exhibition of 1901 but for economic reasons it was on a much
smaller scale.
Cast iron, the material used for the Kiosco Morisco, was a natural
for that time. Cast iron was the metal of choice throughout the second
half of the 19th century. Not only was it a fire resistant material
but large structures could be produced with cast iron at less cost
than other materials such as brick or stone and cast iron structures
could be erected with speed and efficiency. Cast iron is also more
resistant to corrosion than either wrought iron or steel and while
molten, cast iron is easily poured into molds, making it possible
to create nearly unlimited decorative and structural forms. For this
reason it was particularly useful in creating the intricate design
patterns on the Kiosco Morisco. Apparently José Ramón Ibarrola, the
designer, was an acquaintance of Andrew Carnegie, the iron and steel
magnate. The sections of the Kiosco Morisco were cast at the Union
Mills Foundry of the Keystone Bridge Company which was one of Andrew
Carnegie's companies. As a matter of fact both Mr. Carnegie and Señor
Ibarrola received honorary degrees together in 1906 from the University
of Pennsylvania.
At the New Orleans Exhibition the Kiosco
Morisco (Mexican Alhambra) was situated near the southeast corner
of the Main Building. Over the entrance to the Kiosco Morisco hung
a prominent sign containing the Mexican national seal and the words, "Mexican Mining Pavilion",
in gilded letters. Within the pavilion were large glass display-cases,
arranged in two circles, in which were placed a multitude of rare
minerals from each of Mexico's mineral States.
The States having
the finest displays were Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Guanajuato
and Hidalgo, whose immense resources in iron, copper, zinc and lead,
as well as in the more precious metals of gold and silver, were well
represented. Precious stones were also shown and in particular opals
from the state of Queretaro.
Beneath the dome, at the center of the
pavilion, was a half a ton of silver displayed as a mountain, while
collections of various tropical shrubs were placed beneath the colored-glass
windows surrounding the building.
A distinguished mining engineer
and very accomplished individual by the name of Gilberto Crespo y
Martínez was in charge of the displays in Mexican exhibit. In addition
to the Kiosco Morisco, a wooden building was constructed to house
both a Mexican martial band and a cavalry squadron. It was reported
that the Kiosco Morisco and the Mexican band were the most popular
foreign attractions at the fair.
The Kiosco Morisco was declared a National Artistic Monument by
the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia en 1972
and underwent a complete restoration in 2003. It is located at the
Alameda de Santa María la Ribera which is bounded by the streets
Salvador Díaz Mirón, Dr. Atl, Manuel Carpio, and Torres Bodet, in
the Colony of Santa María la Ribera. It is stunningly beautiful and
well worth a visit.
Bob Mrotek can be reached by e-mail at bob.mrotek@gmail.com or at info@cityvisions.com. |