The Old Basilica of Guadalupe (left) was built 1695-1709 and the Convent of Santa María de Guadalupe (right) was built 1792-1797; John Paul II visited 5 times including 1990 (for the beatification of Saint Juan Diego) and 2002 (for canonization of Saint Juan Diego)
The New Basilica of Guadalupe, completed in 1976, has a capacity of 10,000+; every year some twenty million pilgrims visit, of which about nine million do so in the days around December 12, the day on which Saint Mary of Guadalupe is celebrated
The Virgin Mary appeared 4 times to Juan Diego in 1531 and she was said to have asked for a church to be erected in her honor; when he laid flowers at the feet of the bishop, the front of his tilma was adorned by the image of the now-famous Virgin
Built in 1649, the Capilla de Indios housed the image of St Mary of Guadalupe from 1695 to 1709—the year in which it was transferred to the temple known as the Old Basilica; this is the site where the declared apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe occured
The Capilla del Pocito was built 1777-1791 on a well of water considered miraculous; the chapel, a jewel of the Baroque style, is known for its shape since its floor plan is the only one with a circular base built in the 18th century that is preserved in Mexico
The Capilla del Pocito, once one of the most important places in the Basilica complex, was sadly displaced from its prominent position in 1950, when the Plaza de las Américas was built but it retains its Baroque splendor
All the symbols carried by the little angels painted on the dome of the Capilla del Pocito are the Marian symbols that appear in the Lauretana Litany, the final part of praying the rosary: mirror of virtues, tower of David, morning star, etc.
The Basilica Bell Tower (1991) is actually a carillon with 48 bells; on the front is a clock and an astrolabe with a sundial on the right side; on the left is an Aztec clock, which establish seasons of harvest and sowing in 18 months of 20 days each
Up to 30 daily masses occur at the new Basilica to accommodate all the pilgrims; as the interior is circular and self-supporting (no supports to obstruct the view), the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe can be seen from everywhere inside the Basilica
In 1921 a bomb destroyed around 95% of the Old Basilica but the sacred image of the Virgin, however, remained intact; the explosion caused what was left of the temple to sink and in 1976 it was on the brink of collapsed and closed
The hexagonal lights in the new Basilica are but one of the modern features; behind the altar there are 3 moving sidewalks to quickly move pilgrims past the venerated tilma with the image of the virgin on it (a smart idea to keep the masses flowing past)
This featured blog entry was written by VagabondCowboy from the blog The frugal travels of a vagabond.
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