Our Lady of Navigators
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Navigators is a devotional title given to the Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics. It is a widespread devotion in South America, specially Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, where the Feast of Our Lady of Navigators is celebrated on February 2 as an official holiday. Parades carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary take place in most cities that have harbors, specially the large ones. Several churches in Brazil are dedicated to Our Lady of Navigators.

The devotion started in the fifteenth century by Europeans, especially the Portuguese navigators, praying for a safe return to their homes. They saw the Virgin Mary as their protector during storms and other hazards. The first statue in South America was brought from Portugal to Brazil.

The theme of the "Virgin Mary as the protector" was similarly used in the The Virgin of the Navigators
The Virgin of the Navigators
The Virgin of the Navigators is a painting by Spanish artist Alejo Fernández, created as the central panel of an altarpiece for the chapel of the Casa de Contratación building in Seville, southern Spain...

, 1531–36, the earliest known painting whose subject is the discovery of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

.

See also

  • Virgin of Mercy
    Virgin of Mercy
    The Virgin of Mercy is a subject in Catholic art, showing a group of people sheltering for protection under the outspread cloak of the Virgin Mary. It was especially popular in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a specialised form of votive portrait, and is also found in other...

  • Our Lady, Star of the Sea
    Our Lady, Star of the Sea
    Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris, first reliably used with relation to the Virgin Mary in the ninth century...

  • Ave Maris Stella
    Ave Maris Stella
    Ave Maris Stella is a plainsong Vespers hymn to Mary. It is of uncertain origin and can be dated back at least as far as the eighth century. It was especially popular in the Middle Ages and has been used by many composers as the basis of other compositions...

  • Roman Catholic Marian art
    Roman Catholic Marian art
    The Blessed Virgin Mary has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Catholic Art and Western Art for many centuries. Literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of...

  • The Virgin of the Navigators
    The Virgin of the Navigators
    The Virgin of the Navigators is a painting by Spanish artist Alejo Fernández, created as the central panel of an altarpiece for the chapel of the Casa de Contratación building in Seville, southern Spain...

  • Our Lady of Navigators church

Sources


External links

  • Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, Ilhavo
    Ílhavo
    Ílhavo Municipality is located in Aveiro District, in Baixo Vouga Subregion, by the Ria de Aveiro and the Atlantic Ocean, with an area of and a population of 37,209, distributed by four parishes...

     :pt:Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes
  • Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, Parque das Nações http://www.paroquia-navegantes.org
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