Virgen de Quito on El Panecillo - Quito, Ecuador - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Made of 7,000 pieces of aluminum, Virgen de Quito is a 45 metre tall statue on top of a large pedestal. The Madonna looks out over the citizens of Quito from its dominate position on El Panecello hill.

In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates to build it. The monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Muñoz Vega. The statue was engineered and erected by Anibal Lopez of Quito.

The virgin stands on top of a globe and is stepping on a snake, which is a classic madonna iconography. Less traditional are the wings. Locals claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like an angel. The monument was inspired by the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna) also known as "the dancer" sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main altar at the Church of St. Francis. This madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most renowned of the Americas) because it shows a virgin in movement that is practically dancing in contrast with the traditional static Madonnas that were produced during the 18th century.

According to a bronze placard affixed to the monument, the woman represented by the statue is the Woman of the Apocalypse, as described in the Book of Revelation (12:1–18).

Associated Religion(s): Roman Catholic Statue Location: El Panecillo (hill that is visible from almost anywhere in Quito) Entrance Fee: free Artist: Agustín de la Herrán Matorras Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the statue. A waymarker and/or GPSr is not required to be in the image but it doesn't hurt.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   11/08/2022 LeSageMatelot visited it 09/20/2022 harrybal visited it 12/27/2014 the-stooss visited it

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