page_title: Cavite City
section_title: Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga
hierarchical_section_title: Cavite City / Demographics / Religion / Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga
caption_attribution_description: English: The Ermita de Porta Vaga or Porta Vaga Church in Cavite City in 1899 next to the old wall of the city. This is a photo of a cultural heritage property in the Philippines with ID PH-40-0034
context_page_description: Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite, is a 4th class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 102,806 people.
  The city was the capital of Cavite province from the latter's establishment in 1614 until 1954, when it was transferred to the newly created city of Trece Martires near the center of the province. It started as the small port town of Cavite Puerto that prospered during the early Spanish colonial period when it became the main seaport of Manila hosting the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade and the port used for other heavy and larger sea-bound ships. Thereafter, San Roque and La Caridad, two former independent towns of Cavite province, were later added to form one municipality. The present larger Cavite City now includes the communities of San Antonio, the southern districts of Santa Cruz and Dalahican, and the outlying islands of the province, including the historic Corregidor Island.
context_section_description: The Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga (Our Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga) is the patroness of Cavite City. She is revered by Catholics as the Celestial Guardian and Protector of the entire Province of Cavite since her arrival in Cavite shore.  The image of Our Lady of Porta Vaga is designated as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. This is the oldest existing dated Marian painting in the Philippines.
  The image of the virgin is painted on a canvas.  The virgin is depicted as a lady in mourning. Mary, garbed in black and white attire, seems to be on her knees as she contemplates the passion of her son. Before her are the crown of thorns and the nails instrument of Christ's passion.  An inscription was found at the back of the painting – A doze de Abril 1692 años Juan Oliba puso esta Stma. Ymagen Haqui, which means,"The sacred image was placed here by Juan Oliba on April 12, 1692". This particular icon was used to bless the galleon plying between Cavite and Acapulco (Mexico) during formal sending off ceremonies. Thus, she was also called the Patroness of the Galleons.
  The image was originally enshrined at the Ermita de Porta Vaga, a small church located adjacent to the Porta Vaga gate of Cavite Puerto and was destroyed during the last world war.  The image is presently enshrined at the San Roque Parish Church, one of the three parishes in the City.
caption: The Ermita de Porta Vaga or Porta Vaga Church, one of the churches in Cavite Puerto, where Our Lady of Solitude was enshrined with the western wall of Cavite Puerto visible to the left of the building.
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