Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias will give continuity to this tradition of the Royal Family
Brief notes on the Basilica of Our Lady of Atocha
As dedication, that of Virgin of Atocha is slightly usual in Spain, so diverse where they are the Marian names. Nevertheless, in Madrid it has basilica as mistress, not declared, of the Court. It is not exact that she is copatrona from Madrid.
Felipe III institutes in 1602 the basilica and other establishments placed around her as Royal Patronage, entrusted since then the Preachers' Order in order to inform suffrages for the King and to attend to social functions . He saved itself, besides, the right to be buried in this temple (the construction of the Kings' Pantheon of the Monastery of El Escorial was stopped then by technical problems). For this reason, the charges and rights of Patronage correspond to National wealth (Law 23/1982).
Royal devotion
Isabel II was a queen close all that she was identifying with the people of Madrid, and from her adult age (1843), added new devotions to the Virgin of Atocha, since to come every Saturday to the prayer of the Salve when the Court was in Madrid (November - March), and to present the Infantes a few days after being born.
In spite of this devotion, the queen married in the chapel of the Royal Palace (1846). Nevertheless, Alfonso XII would find in Atocha the space for guests who were demanding the new social customs, and that the Royal Chapel was lacking.
Phases of the basilica
The history of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Atocha (basilica after the Concordat of 1851) is not documented well and the news previous to the institution of the Royal Patronage is confused and fragmentary.
With regard to the building, the following steps can be distinguished:
Felipe III gives the orders to construct a chapel for the Virgin the famous Juan Gómez de Mora, placed parallel to the church of the convent.
Felipe IV rebuilds, from 1649, the dressing-room of the Virgin, to which Carlos II provides with fresh air painted by Lucas Jordán. In 1808, during the French occupation, the interior of the temple and of the chapel they remain satiny. The architect Isidro Gonzalez Velázquez unifies chapel and temple.
Patches and arrangements do not avoid a deterioration that in 1885 leads to the demolition of the factory. Dona Maria Cristina summons in 1890 a contest to build a great suitable temple for ceremonies of State, which Fernando Arbós gains. Only he concluded the campanile and a part of the cloister (today Pantheon of Illustrious Men).
The Preachers' Order tackles to its expenses in 1924 the construction of a convent and basilica, according to project of Francisco Antón, of style seudobarroco.
Destroyed the previous one in 1936, the current one is a work of Diego Méndez (1951). In the rest of the plot not occupied by the temple, National wealth built a college (Ramon Andrada), inaugurated in 1970.
Prominent events
The Prince of Asturias (future Carlos IV) and his wife, Maria Luisa of Parma, celebrate mass of watches, with great solemnity and device on December 11, 1765.
The Prince of Asturias (future Fernando VII) visit Atocha, on July 19, 1803, with his first wife, Maria Antonia de Borbón. Fernando VII and Maria Josefa Amalia of Saxony, after the watches, come to the sanctuary on October 21, 1819.
Fernando VII and Maria Cristina de Borbón celebrate velaciones on December 12, 1829.
The Queen Isabel II, on the following day of her marriage in the Royal Palace, celebrates watches on October 11, 1846.
Isabel II inaugurates the pious habit of offering the Virgin of Atocha the born Infantes alive (1852).
The King Alfonso XII celebrates in this basilica his two weddings: on January 23, 1878, with Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Orleáns; and on November 29, 1879, with Dona Cristina of Austria. The courtship was the most solemn.
Don Alfonso XIII presides on the first Saturday of November, 1926 at the movement of the image from the Royal Patronage of the Good Event to Atocha's basilica.
Don Juan Carlos, Prince at the time of Spain, there presents the Virgin to his children the Prince of Asturias (1968), and the Infantas Dona Elena (1963) and Dona Cristina (1965).
Her Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias, in the day of their wedding, May 22, 2004, realized a floral offering.
Next Wednesday the Princes will present their first-born to the Virgin of Atocha.
Princes de Asturias will present the next Wednesday, 7th of June, their first-born, Infant Leonor, to the Virgin of Nuestra Seńora Atocha, a tradition of the Spanish Royal Family which goes back to century XVII, according to a spokesman of the House of the King. Of this form, Don Felipe and Doña Letizia will give continuity to very old devotion that Royal Family professes to nuestra Seńora de Atocha, and that caused that the own Prince was presented before the Virgin few days after his birth, something that also made with its children Infant Elena. Alfonso XIII, who was born the 17 of May of 1886, was taken before the Virgin of Atocha 45 days after his birth. There is no certainty of which when he had his children, between 1907 and 1914, he followed the tradition because the basilica was in ruins and was closed in 1911. The Princes will return thus to he himself temple in which the day of her wedding, after the ceremony celebrated in the cathedral of the Almudena the 22 of May of 2004, Doña Letizia deposited her branch of fiancèe before the bizantina image of the Virgin. Our Mrs. of Atocha was proclaimed protective of the Royal Family and the Spanish Monarchy in 1643 by Felipe IV, although this real devotion is located in its origin in king Alfonso I SAW, in century XI, years in which it calculates was constructed the first temple. The Basilica is located in the Reconciled Madrilenian of the City of Barcelona, next to the stroll of the Prado, and its building was concluded in 1951 like reconstruction from which it dated from century principles and that were sacked and set afire in the beginning of the Civil War. Small image bizantina of Our Mrs. of Atocha, that the legend aims that it arrived at Spain from Antioch in century X, has always been saved of the lootings which the temple was put under. The crowns of the Virgin and the Boy were gift of Isabel II, in gratefulness to have survived in 1854 the apuñalamiento of Merino priest, when it was going to present/display to Our Lady the Virgin to Infant Isabel, “the Boat”. The image of the Virgin of Atocha, that takes one diadema simple in the head, is in sedente attitude, on a throne and holds to the Boy with the left hand, whereas with the right maintains an apple, sign of the .redemption. The crowns have he himself design. Made in sobregilded silver, they alternate brilliants and topazes and one cristería which they leave the six imperial ones, that serves as support to the ball and the cross of the closing. Habitually one venerates in his dressing room without mantle, crowns nor decorations, although in the great ceremonies, like the day in which Doña Letizia went with the Prince to deposit her branch of fiancèe, shows to the Insigne Order of the Toisón and the Real one and Distinguished Order of Carlos III. Also in the exceptional occasions, the image of the Virgin is adorned with rostrillo, very used in centuries XVIII and XIX instead of other jewels, and that the face of the image frames to praise it. Alfonso XIII, accompanied by his mother, queen Maria Cristina, presided over the first Saturday of November of 1926 the transfer of the image from the Real Patronage from the Good Event to the basilica of Atocha. Although the history of the building that lodges the image is confused, is known that Felipe III commanded to construct to the chapel of the Virgin to Juan Go'mez de Mora, in parallel to the church of the convent. Felipe IV rebuilt, as of 1649, the dressing room of the Virgin, to whom Carlos II equipped with fresh painted by Lucas Jordán. Isidro architect González Vela'zquez was in charge of the reconstruction after the French occupation and, before the later deteriorations, the queen runs, Doña Maria Cristina, summoned in 1890 an aid to build a great temple, but the architect Fernando Arbós only concluded campanile and a part of claustro, that today is the Pantheon of Illustrious Men.
The Princes will have such a busy next week! They are going to have acts every day, except Tuesday. And they will have to hurry with this presentation of the girl, since they have other two activities on Wednesday!
What are the possiblities that we'd get to see that. I dont think they show the Infanta enough. Or at least not as much as they brought Dona Felipe as a child into the public view:(
What are the possiblities that we'd get to see that. I dont think they show the Infanta enough. Or at least not as much as they brought Dona Felipe as a child into the public view:(
We have all the possibilities of seeing the litle Infanta, at least when entering the Basilica.
When Prince Felipe went to the Basilica of Atocha almost nobody knew that Princes Juan and Sofia would bring the baby that day, so I find quite nice from Princes of Asturias to let us know that they will present Leonor on that day, so whoever wants can see the Infanta in loco and the media can be there to cover it.
The public displays of Prince Felipe as a baby were agreed with the press and the times were others.
As much I would like to see pictures of Leonor every day, I don't agree that we see her so few times. She even went to a cousin birthday party and posed to the press.
great news!!!!!!!!!
what are they going to do there?
They are going to present Leonor to the Virgin. It's a tradition of the Spanish Royal family. Elena, Cristina and Felipe were also presented by their parents.
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these are great news. i really look forward to see leonor...
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I think that it comprises a thanksgiving mass for the birth of the Infanta.
Maybe our Spanish members can enlighten us on this subject:)
from what i have read at the link that i provide below, the ceremony dates from the times of carlos v of spain. it signifies the tradition of spanish women wanting to receive purification and to offer their children to the church.
it seems to be more or less like a normal mass, but including a special part to present the baby to the virgin. it also mentions some curiosities of the presentation of prince felipe, and says that during the sermon he didn't stop crying until he heard the sound of an organ.
it also has some lovely photos of the king and queen (then princes) and infante felipe that day, that are definetely worth a look.
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it also mentions some curiosities of the presentation of prince felipe, and says that during the sermon he didn't stop crying until he heard the sound of an organ.
The Princes of Asturias will take on Wednesday their daughter, Doña Leonor, before the Virgin of Atocha
Such and since it comes doing the Royal Family from the epoch of the first Austrias, Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias will take their first-born one, the Infanta Dona Leonor, before the image of Our Lady the Virgin of Atocha. The presentation of the daughter of Don Felipe and Dona Letizia will take place next Wednesday, the 7th, at a quarter after eleven in the morning, as reported yesterday a speaker of the Palace of The Zarzuela.
The advertisement of the presentation of the girl before the Virgin started itself knowing during the visit that the Princes realized to the municipality of Madrid of Alcala de Henares, where they remained eight hours. Between other places, they visited the Town hall, Michael's natal house of Cervantes, the factory of perfumes Gal and a hospital.
Of this form, the Inheritor of the Wreath and his wife will give fulfillment to an old tradition of the Royal Family, who for centuries comes to give them thanks to the Virgin for the birth of the new members. Also Don Juan Carlos and Dona Sofía took to Atocha's temple their children, the Prince of Asturias and the Infantas Dona Elenas and Dona Cristina, months after coming to the world.
In concrete, Don Felipe was presented and offered to the Virgin of Atocha on July 13, 1968, when he was almost six months old, and the small Leonor will be taken to the basilica seven months after her birth.
With this motive, the Princes will return to the temple in which Dona Letizia deposited her branch after her wedding with Don Felipe. The same one in which there married the great-great-grand-father of the Inheritor of the Wreath, Alfonso XII, and to that all the Kings of Spain have come to pray from the times of Alfonso VI, though its epoch of major brilliance coincided with the Reign of Carlos I.
The chronicles tell that Felipe II was never going out of Madrid without passing before to say before the Virgin of Atocha, that Felipe III did that the image was accompanying him in his bed of death and that Felipe IV managed to visit 3.400 times along his life.
The chronicle belongs to Jaime Peñafiel, when he was expert in Royal Houses (not how now:p ), 38 years ago, and he was employed at a good magazine how Hola.
Last Saturday, and to five months of his birth. There has been presented to the Virgin of Madrid of Atocha the infantito don Felipe de Borbón, son of Their Royal Highness the princes don Juan Carlos and Dona Sofía of Spain.
This event answers to a pious tradition of the Spanish royal family, who dates nothing less than the epoch of Carlos V. inspired at the same time by the pious custom of the Spanish woman who has been a mother, of coming to the God's house to be purified on the one hand and to present her son for other one.
Don Juan Carlos and dona Sofía, public inspectors in the matter and to the practice of the customs and Spanish traditions - against more popular-, more of the pleasure of the princes-, some time ago that they wanted to come to the basilica gift of venerates the image of the mistress of the former Court of Madrid, where in its day also dona Elena and dona Cristina were presented to the Virgin . But diverse events and trips it had forced to delay this nice act until the last Saturday.
The choice of this day of was not precisely chance, but express from of the princess Sofía, knowledgeable of the Marian sense of the Saturday.
The hour fixed at first for the act it was half after seven of the evening. But in view of the intense reigning heat this hour, the princes and their son, the infante Felipe, would not come to the Basilica up to passed the eight of the evening.
Though the event had not been a public fact, in view of the intimate character with which they please of Sofia and Juan Carlos surround all their familiar acts, the certain thing is that from seven o'clock in the afternoon an immense crowd was filling up to overflowing the wide temple, as well as the gardens of access to the basilica. They were simple and humble peoples in the main, inhabitants of the populous slum of Madrid.
Soon after eight o'clock in the afternoon they were coming Their Highnesses proceeding from the palace of the Zarzuela, in company of the assistant of service, lieutenant colonel of the Army of the Air, don Juan Manuel Santos Suárez. In the second car they were accompanied by the inspectors of police officer gentlemen Anguas and Montero.
The princess, who was dressing a garment of sedates native of green color, she was taking her son Felipe in the arms. The small one, of fair hairs like his father and of tez white as her mother he was kept erguido and wake up. With his enormously big and blue eyes he was observing everything what him was making a detour.
At the door of the temple they were got by the father Aniceto Fernandez, general teacher of the religious Dominicans, to whom the custody of basilica is entrusted. Also there was present the provincial one of the order, father Segismundo Cascón, and the components of the community.
The father Aniceto Fernandez, who was redressed in rain cap, said in the porch the prayers of ritual, later the ceremony would continue in the major altar while the march of the infantes was interpreted to the organ. Before proceeding to the presentation of the child to the Virgin, the princes took seat in a seat of honor in the presbytery, while the general father of Dominicans was declaring a beautiful allusive conversation to the presentación.
During a moment of the above mentioned conversation, the infante don Felipe, overwhelmed possibly by the intense heat, began to crying while his mother was meeting to console him. Only when the organ, once finished the allocution of the priest, stopped to hear its notes, the small one he stopped from his cryings.
The ceremony concluded finally with the presentation of Felipe to the Virgin and the benediction of the priest for his mother. Finally it was half-closed Save it popularly. Finished this one, the prince don Juan took his son in the arms and in company of the princess and of the parents of the community they left the basilica.
The multitude returned to pay them, as at the arrival, the warmest samples of fondness and affection.
1-2 Basilica of Atocha
3-4 Virgin of Atocha
5 Presentation of the baby King Alfonso XIII
6 Presentation of Infanta Elena
7 Presentation of Infanta Cristina
8-9 Presentatios of Prince Felipe
10 The Princes of Asturias the their of their wedding in Atocha
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