OUR LADY OF THE BIG EYE
Testimonials undoubted authenticity have brought to us the echo of the deep veneration in the Middle Ages consecrated the image of the Virgin Lugo kings, magnates and the people, to the point of local history developed several centuries under the sign of a strong polarization towards the Mother of God, who, as mistress of the city, was called with the name of Santa Maria de Lugo, a shield of our kings in their companies against the enemies of religion and the country was called Our Lady of Victories, and for several centuries it was the sweetest distinguished patronage of Our Lady of the Big Eyes.
The cathedral of Lugo, whose head was certainly a mid-third century, had always holder, it may be surmised, the Virgin Mary. It is clear that in such a remote antiquity, apart from the indisputable fact of the existence of the diocese and the names of some of their superiors, the news that have survived the arrival of the barbarians and the Muslim invasion are vague and imprecise.
The light begins to be in the first decades of the Reconquista, from which the Virgin of Lugo is present in the main episodes of local life. She inspires the work of restoration of Bishop Odoario and is attended our monarchs in random moments of his reign.
Odoario restored cathedral, the cathedral city and diocese, the first outbreak devastated by Muslim, in his great undertaking guide his devotion to the Virgen de Lugo, who encouraged and presided over the conquest of these lands, as of Covadonga. chairs and encourages the reconquest country. In the call will lower , who came to us in writing late Odoario describes the repopulation of the lands Lugo with his servants and family, carried out in times of Alfonso II, and, after offering to the Virgen de Lugo rebuilt churches mentioned, the invoked with these words: Oh glorious Virgin Mary, in whose honor the church shines ..., deign to accept these gifts we offer, with everything in front and accretion can win all my life.
Alfonso II attributed to the intercession of the Virgin of the victory of Castro Lugo of Santa Cristina on the traitor Mahmoud, and in thanksgiving fat enriched your church with donations.
Bermudo II, document dated 991, signed by San Pedro de Mezonzo, invoking in fervent prayer as "lord and master, Queen of Virgins, Mother of Light", and offers land and possessions " the Virgin in which honor has been erected on the banks of the Minho, the church of Lugo.
Alfonso V in 1027 confirms the degree of its predecessor and played almost to the letter the same prayer: To You, Lady holy and glorious Mother of light, perpetual Virgin and Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have your seat at the UN headquarters cathedral, on the banks of the Miño ...
Bermudo III was widely promoted in their companies for the Virgen de Lugo. Three diplomas are witnesses to the protection of Mary and the gratitude of the king. At last, dated the year 1036, supports a small offering to the church my wife and mistress, Mary, to be my helper in the defense of the city of Lugo and I deserve, through its sponsorship of the Lord rich rewards.
Alfonso VI, to rid the city from the hands of Rodrigo Ovéquez, is forced to tear down the walls and into blood and fire in the cathedral, where the vassal unfair had been strong. Concerned about the king for so many "crimes and offenses," asks the forgiveness of the Virgin Mary, whose church was formerly founded in this city of Lugo and devoutly venerated by my grandparents and enriched them with property and land since he was rescued from the hands of the Saracens.
are emotional Uniquely Urraca diplomas related to the Virgen de Lugo. The Queen of 1107 tells how he came to the cathedral and the altar of the Virgin Mary enshrined as an Oblate of the Infante Don Alfonso, the future emperor, whose life and reign placed under the protection of the Virgin of Lugo. The year 1112 Queen donated to the cathedral abundant possessions: the document was issued in one of the most eventful in the life of Doña Urraca, who, in a fit of pathetic anxiety, breaks into tears and sobs at the sight threatened his throne by the hosts of her second husband, Alfonso the Battler: And now, ladies and Queen, Mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, please accept this my sacrifice, but modest, and present my tears, my sighs, my complaints to the compliance of the Divine Majesty, that your powerful intercession to help me have a peaceful kingdom that my father left me and be my shield, my protection now and in the time of terrible trial.
Alfonso VII was always honor the glorious title of Oblate of the Virgin of Lugo, constantly encouraging the church of Santa Maria.
Basten these examples, gleaned at random from the actual diplomas Lugo cathedral. Dr. Pallares, in the seventeenth century, 144 states have recognized royal privileges, donations to Our Lady of the Big Eyes. Parallel
Marian devotion flourished monarchs, also copy and vigorous, that of the nobles, who in their deeds of donation and thanksgiving for favors received stiffness frequently interrupted protocol delicate with beautiful prayers and invocations the Virgin, with which it could weave a fascinating anthology worthy of inclusion alongside the juicy pages of Mariology.
El pueblo rivalizó con los reyes y los magnates en un emocionado plebiscito de veneración y reconocimiento a la Virgen de los Ojos Grandes.
Muchísimos instrumentos particulares y quinientas escrituras de donación que existían en el siglo XVII son la mejor demostración de la devoción popular.
Una de sus manifestaciones más espléndidas es el voto de los cornados, al que califica Pallarés y Gayoso de "el voto más señalado y más especial entre los que se han hecho a esta imagen".
Su origen es antiquísimo. Ya en el siglo XVII los elderly witnesses who could see the first historian of the Virgen de Lugo, testified "that the vote was of immemorial tradition and custom in this diocese."
In the year 1587 an act chapter refers to the possession which is the church of Lugo's vote horns.
The very name seems to show that the voting was instituted when it was in use this kind of money, which was introduced in the second half of the thirteenth century, the reign of Sancho el Bravo, and ran into the following reigns, to disappear in the Catholic Kings.
horns oldest quarter amounted to and a penny, and half of this value the most modern, but memory is not as satisfying amount each family.
consists only in the second half of the seventeenth century every household contributed with five coppers, which is a very considerable recovery in a diocese that had large areas in the provinces of Pontevedra, La Coruña y León.
of private donations, which would occupy several volumes exhaustive list, we note, for their historical interest, Doña Sancha Rodriguez, who in 1202 offered to the Virgin a lamp to be always look with the others that burn before the altar of Santa Maria.
The date of this donation leads effortlessly to document in the twelfth century the continuous illumination of the image of the Virgen de Lugo, and shows us, as in old times, the piety of the Lugo and Striving to retain the greatest decorum and splendor of the heavenly worship Patron.
This vigorous expression of popular piety are linked achieved extraordinary graces through the intercession of Mary.
The degree to which the Vatican City Council granted the coronation of the Virgen de los Ojos Great, in weighing the extraordinary merits of the venerated image, the called celeberrimam non minus vetustate quam prodigiorum Multitudinism: very famous both for its antiquity and by the multitude of its wonders.
from the documents of the cathedral, the first thing mentioned is Alfonso VI, who claims to have seen through their eyes the many miracles that at its altar was working the Mother of God: tunc vero we ibidem seers oculis nostris fieri coelitus miraculously fine.
Urraca said they were numerous and frequent wonders did the Lord in this church through the intercession of his Mother.
almost the same words the Count Don Munio Peláez, in a document dated 1123, shows that in this temple, dedicated to the Mother of God, are frequent and countless miracles.
The wonders wrought by the Virgin of Lugo have their first screening of literature in the Book of Praises et miracles of Our Lady of Alfonso X.
77 The ballad tells the Wise King, with his characteristic simplicity and vividness, a miracle cure, whose translated title reads: "How to Santa Mary healed in the church of Santa Maria de Lugo to a woman paralyzed hands and feet. "
The royal troubadour of Mary has left us in the chorus of the ballad a happy and brief description of the image of Big Eyes, which adopts the attitude of the Virgen de la Leche, iconographic theme quite widespread from the second half of the thirteenth century:
Da that Deus Mamou or leite do seu peito, ; non é wonder saar, contreito.
The miracle takes place within the church on August 15, the feast of the Virgin, "and not August, not day escolleito, festa na sa big," writes the poet.
Bishop were present "and all people", who could not hold back the tears, and shout praises to Mary.
Dr. Pallares stated in Chapter LIX of Argos divine. Our Lady of the Big Eyes a series of extraordinary events, especially healing the sick and homeless, attributed to the intercession of the Virgen de Lugo.
All occurred in his time, and, although it had to be true and timely history of false inventions chronicles, his truthfulness, he could inquire directly and personally, is unquestionable.
Much of this wondrous cures were achieved with the application of oil: the lamps burning before the altar of the Virgin, and his fame had reached the ends of the peninsula.
"In some parts come Pallarés he writes," and there are witnesses that it was an Indian Cádiz, passing through this city, that I witnessed. "
A circle of splendor and grandeur of the cult of the Virgin contributed mightily to the Brotherhood of the Big Eyes.
The memory of his erection But it is undeniable that it is ancient.
Already in 1577 the Bishop Don Juan Suarez de Carbajal gave new statutes to accommodate the needs of the times.
A century Later, in 1659, the Brotherhood took on strong momentum, thanks to the zeal of the council, assisted by Bishop Juan Bravo Lasprilla that renewed again Constitutions, welcomed "with common acceptance of the faithful of this city and throughout the diocese, and even the whole kingdom, which fall within the Brotherhood, to take the title and special character of his children" (Pallares).
In these times it became popular to recite the Hail to the Virgen de los Ojos Grandes at the stroke of noon, and grew the cult of the venerable image by increasing the lights burned before the altar, particularly in Marian festivities, and feast of the Assumption, vespers, mass and procession of white candles were distributed to all attendees. The
generous devotion of the brothers deserved the sanctity of Alexander VII briefly dated in 1663, which states that tend to make many acts of piety, charity and mercy, and enriches the Brotherhood with several plenary indulgences and partial.
The Cathedral City Council did vote in the seventeenth century will never give the Board of the chapel, and to the grandeur and solemnity of their worship channeled all his energies, rising in the first half of the eighteenth century the magnificent work today it is revered as the patron saint of the city.
took the head of the cathedral apse, and is one of the most magnificent Baroque monuments Galician, the work of Fernando de Casas, the great architect of the facade of the Cathedral of Santiago Obradoiro. The altarpiece of the Virgin, built as a canopy, was designed by the same houses, and corresponds with its delicate ornamental richness to the sumptuousness and grandeur of the chapel.
Its inauguration in 1736, was solemnized with cults and special celebrations: eight days of sermons, preached by prelates procession, six thousand pieces of fireworks, twelve bulls "with bullfighters of Castile, six plays, four in swashbuckling and two arena, two days of a ring, a serious and a burlesque, a day of piggy banks and a masquerade with chariot and serenade music, and perennial source of wine on the day of Our Lady. "
Such is the throne occupied by the venerable image and only left the December 8, 1904 for travel between the delirious enthusiasm of the crowd The streets of Lugo and stop at the front of the town hall, where, in solemn ceremony, was crowned canonically.
Thousands of Lugo visit every day the Lord Blessed Sacrament, exposed continually at the Cathedral Basilica and then inevitably come at the feet of the Virgen de Lugo to thank benefits received and request remedy for their troubles and needs. Many devout people daily illuminate its image, many travel daily on his knees, one or more times, the area around the altar, many pray there daily, privately or collectively, the holy rosary. Title
the Great Eye of captivating beauty, whose deep Mariological content has its most authoritative commentary on the words that the sanctity of Pius XI in May 1928 led the congregants Marian English:
, "Among the beautiful devotions to Mary is invoked, the most devout of the devout sons of Spain conferred the LADY OF THE BIG EYES. Thought magnificent presents her as the heart God has given to love and help, great as his maternal omnipotence, the closest resemblance to the eye of God ...
