Chapel of Our Lady of Europe
Encyclopedia
The Chapel of Our Lady of Europe of Algeciras
(Spain
), popularly known as the Small Chapel of Europe is placed in the High Square . It was built as today we know it, in 1769, since the original building was severely affected by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
and had to be demolished. The first chapel had been dedicated to St. Bernard
, patron saint of Gibraltar
and its Campo
, and was placed in the cortijo (farm) of one of the wealthiest families of Gibraltar, the Gálvez, in 1690, with the authorization of the bishop of Cádiz. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural
in 1981.
In 1704, following the Capture of Gibraltar
by an Anglo-Dutch fleet on behalf of the Archduke Charles
, claimant to the Spanish throne, almost all the population left the town. Some of the refugees built their houses by the chapel, in principle they were provisional buildings since they was entrusting that Gibraltar would be recovered soon. However, with the passage of the time the provisional settlement became the seed of a new town, beginning this way the modern history of Algeciras after his destruction in 1379. The hermitage gave shelter to the statue of Our Lady of Europe
. The statue of the Virgin and the Child was venerated in Gibraltar, in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
. At the time of the capture, the shrine was looted and the statue of the Virgin and Child was broken and its remains thrown out to sea. As the statue was carved from wood, the pieces were recovered by a fisherman who found them floating in the Bay of Gibraltar
and later delivered them to Juan Romero de Figueroa
, the priest in charge at the Church of St. Mary the Crowned and St. Bernard in Gibraltar. Romero de Figueroa remained in the town after the capture and eventually took the pieces of the statue to Algeciras for safekeeping in the former Chapel of St. Bernard, which was dedicated then to Our Lady of Europe
and named Chapel of Our Lady of Europe . The original statue was returned to Gibraltar in 1864.
The design belongs to the architect Torcuato Cayón; it possesses an alone Barrel vault
and a dome
sustained by pendentive
s, this dome is divided in eight sections, in them and in the pendentives the Apostles
are represented.
The Facade
possesses two bodies and belfry
, on the door a niche exists with an image of St. Bernard, patron saint of the city, placed in recent times. It was plundered in 1931 and then sold by the bishopric to an individual in 1936, during the decade of 1940 it was in complete abandon as store of a workshop of mechanics. Later in 1943 it was restored by the town hall. In 1989 it proceeded to a new restoration, necessary since the building of his left side was destroyed.
It is the see of the Brotherhood of the Cristo Atado a la Columna (Christ Tied to the Column), work of José Román Corzanego and of María Santísima de las Lágrimas (Holy Mary of the Tears), work of the Salesian workshops of Seville.
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), popularly known as the Small Chapel of Europe is placed in the High Square . It was built as today we know it, in 1769, since the original building was severely affected by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
and had to be demolished. The first chapel had been dedicated to St. Bernard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
, patron saint of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and its Campo
Campo de Gibraltar
The comarca of the Campo de Gibraltar is a comarca in the province of Cádiz, Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe...
, and was placed in the cortijo (farm) of one of the wealthiest families of Gibraltar, the Gálvez, in 1690, with the authorization of the bishop of Cádiz. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural
Bien de Interés Cultural
A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the Spanish heritage register. This category dates from 1985 when it replaced the former heritage category of Monumento nacional in order to extend protection to a wider range of cultural property...
in 1981.
In 1704, following the Capture of Gibraltar
Capture of Gibraltar
The Capture of Gibraltar by the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Allies had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate...
by an Anglo-Dutch fleet on behalf of the Archduke Charles
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
, claimant to the Spanish throne, almost all the population left the town. Some of the refugees built their houses by the chapel, in principle they were provisional buildings since they was entrusting that Gibraltar would be recovered soon. However, with the passage of the time the provisional settlement became the seed of a new town, beginning this way the modern history of Algeciras after his destruction in 1379. The hermitage gave shelter to the statue of Our Lady of Europe
Our Lady of Europe
Our Lady of Europe is a consecrated title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gibraltar, where devotion began, and to a lesser extent in Algeciras, Spain. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar...
. The statue of the Virgin and the Child was venerated in Gibraltar, in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
Shrine of Our Lady of Europe
The Shrine of Our Lady of Europe is a Roman Catholic shrine at Europa Point in Gibraltar. It is the church where Our Lady of Europe, the Catholic patroness of Gibraltar is honoured....
. At the time of the capture, the shrine was looted and the statue of the Virgin and Child was broken and its remains thrown out to sea. As the statue was carved from wood, the pieces were recovered by a fisherman who found them floating in the Bay of Gibraltar
Bay of Gibraltar
The Bay of Gibraltar is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It is around long by wide, covering an area of some , with a depth of up to in the centre of the bay...
and later delivered them to Juan Romero de Figueroa
Juan Romero de Figueroa
Juan Romero de Figueroa was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, in charge of the Parish Church of St. Mary the Crowned during the last years of Gibraltar's Spanish period and first ones of the British period, until his death...
, the priest in charge at the Church of St. Mary the Crowned and St. Bernard in Gibraltar. Romero de Figueroa remained in the town after the capture and eventually took the pieces of the statue to Algeciras for safekeeping in the former Chapel of St. Bernard, which was dedicated then to Our Lady of Europe
Our Lady of Europe
Our Lady of Europe is a consecrated title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gibraltar, where devotion began, and to a lesser extent in Algeciras, Spain. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar...
and named Chapel of Our Lady of Europe . The original statue was returned to Gibraltar in 1864.
The design belongs to the architect Torcuato Cayón; it possesses an alone Barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
and a dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
sustained by pendentive
Pendentive
A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or...
s, this dome is divided in eight sections, in them and in the pendentives the Apostles
The Apostles
The Apostles are an experimental punk rock band who developed within the confines of the 1980s Anarcho Punk scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.-History:...
are represented.
The Facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
possesses two bodies and belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, on the door a niche exists with an image of St. Bernard, patron saint of the city, placed in recent times. It was plundered in 1931 and then sold by the bishopric to an individual in 1936, during the decade of 1940 it was in complete abandon as store of a workshop of mechanics. Later in 1943 it was restored by the town hall. In 1989 it proceeded to a new restoration, necessary since the building of his left side was destroyed.
It is the see of the Brotherhood of the Cristo Atado a la Columna (Christ Tied to the Column), work of José Román Corzanego and of María Santísima de las Lágrimas (Holy Mary of the Tears), work of the Salesian workshops of Seville.
External links
- Record of the Chapel of Our Lady of Europe in the data base of real state of Andalucía. Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico. Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía (in Spanish)
- Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa, in the magazine Instituto de Enseñanza Secundaria Ventura Morón. Author: Roberto Godino (in Spanish)
- Capilla Ntra. Sra. De Europa, Museo Cruz Herrera (in Spanish)