Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-18
VIRGIN OF AT 0CHA
Wooden Image Much Priced
in Madrid.
A FAMOUS SHRINE
CHRISTMAS EFFORT TO RAISE A
FINE CHURCH.
Project Not Popular and Progress Has
Been Slow-Sone Royal
iuperstitions.
FAMOUS SHRINE
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record-Herald.
MADRID, November s, 1903.
A little image of the Mother Of God rude
ly carved of wood, and blacked with age,
called Nuestra Sonora de Atocha, enshrined
temporarily in little church opposite the
palace of the Infanta Isabella, Is believed
to exercise unlimited power over the des-
tiny of the royal family and the kingdom
Of Spain, and when they are in Madrid the
king. the queen mother, her daughters ana
other members of the household never fail
to go at O'Clock every Saturday after
noon to offer prayers of thanksgiving for
the protection and blessings already re-
ceived, and inplore it's future protection
and blessings.
This image is said to have been carved by
ST Luke 1t is one of many attributed to-
him. and if he carved them all. and painted
all of the pictures of the Madonna that are
ascribed to his brush he must have spent
very busy life. 1t is also supposed that the
image was brought from Antioch in the
earliest days of the church and from that
fact its name is derived Although that Is
the popular impression. psychologists call
attention to the fact that 'atocha' Is the
name of peculiar kind of grass that used
to grow abundantly in that section of Ma
drid where the Church of the Virgin Is
situated and that 1t was undoubtedly call
ed the Virgin of the Grass" by the peas
ants without regard to Antioch or any ref
erence to its origin. Wherever it may have
come FROM or whose rude hand may have
endeavored to shape the block of wood in
to the Semblance of a human face, the ef-
figy is very, very old and long before peo-
pie began to write history 1T occupied
shrine on the outskirts of Madrid and was
the object of pilgrimages from all parts of
Spain. Ever since the Christians have oc-
cupied this country it has been the object
of venera ton.
1t is difficult to say when it began to ex-
ercise an influence over the royal family.
but we hear of it first in the time of Charles
V. when, in 1923, Huratdo de Mendoza
erected a splendid church upon the site of
the original shrine, which was SO old that
no man could trace it's history. 1t has been
the patron saint of the soldiers we'll as
the sovereigns of Sp ain. and the old church
contained the tombs of several distinguish
ed generals It's walls were decorated by
standards and banners captured or carried
in battle, and brought there as offerings to
the Virgin de Atocha, in fulfillment of
vows. Among the famous tombs was that
of Bartolome de Lascasas 1.-The apostle of
the hides" who endeavored to protect the
Inhabitants of the new world from the
cruelty of the Conquistadores.
A Famous Shrine.
To this church for centuries have come
the kings of Spain to say their prayers and
confess their sins before their coronations;
here came generals for similar purposes be-
fore they went to battle; here have come
kings and queens, princes and princesses to
implore the blessings of this little image
before their marriages. which are usually
performed before the altar, and here the
marriage of Alfonso XII to Queen Chris
tina was performed. Christina came here
before and after her children were born.
and the king and his sisters were baptized
at this altar. Thus her associations with
the church and the image have been very
close but there was a still greater reason.
When the little king was only five years
old he was taken with a serious sickness,
and the doctors despaired of his life. By
consent of the archbishop the Virgin of
Atocha was brought from her altar escort
ed by squadron of cavalry and a long
procession of priests. and was placed upon
the bed of the royal child, who prayed 20
1t and Immediately recovered. Again, few
years later, during a second illness. equally
critical. the child kings life was saved,
and he was restored to health. as his
mother believes, by the intercession of this
virgin. 1t so happened that both of these
events occurred on Saturdays, and nearly
at the same hour, which is considered a
very good reason why the king and his
mother should go to the church every Sat
urday afternoon at O'Clock to acknowl-
edge the mercies they have enjoyed.
queen Christina. in her gratitude, felt
that the old church erected by he confess
sor of Charles WIS not good enough for
the Virgin of Atocha, and ordered a new
one erected in its place as an expression of
her gratitude. The architects planned a
Romanesque structure of alternate courses
OF white and black marble, like the cathe-
dral of Florence. with court and cloister
adjoining, which should be used for the
tOnlbs of eminent men. 1t was said at the
time that this part of the plan was intend
ed COaXer to secure an appropriation
from the public treasury, but whatever the
motive might have been the appropria ton
was made, the cloisters were erected
around large court and three graves nave
already been made there, in which the
bodies of General Prim, the president of the
republic of Spain and the founder of the
liberal party; Canovas. the great conserva-
tive leader, and the late Senior Sagasta, the
liberal leader who died a year ago, have
been placed. There are four other nation Il
pantheons, but this is the latest and the