Chapel of Our Lady of Europe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chapel of Our Lady of EuropeCapilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa |
|
|---|---|
|
previously: Chapel of St. Bernard (Spanish: Capilla de San Bernardo)
|
|
Façade of the chapel
|
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Chapel |
| Leadership | Bishop Rafael Zornoza Boy |
| Year consecrated | 1690 (St. Bernard) 1704 (Our Lady of Europe) |
| Location | |
| Location | Plaza Alta, Algeciras, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Torcuato Cayón |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Founder | Gálvez family |
| Groundbreaking | 1695 |
| Completed | 1769 |
| Official name: Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1981 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0004487 |
The Chapel of Our Lady of Europe (Spanish: Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa) is a Roman Catholic chapel. You can find it in the High Square (Spanish: Plaza Alta) of Algeciras, a city in Spain. People also call it the "Capillita de Europa" (English: Small Chapel of Europe). Many believe it was the starting point for the modern city of Algeciras.
For many years, from 1704 to 1864, this chapel kept a special statue. It was a statue of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. This statue originally came from the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe in Gibraltar. It was moved here after the capture of Gibraltar by an Anglo-Dutch fleet.
Contents
History of the Chapel
The chapel you see today was finished in 1769. The first building was badly damaged by a big earthquake in 1755. Because of the damage, it had to be taken down and rebuilt.
The very first chapel was built in 1690. It was dedicated to Saint Bernard, who is the patron saint of Gibraltar. This first chapel was on the farm of the wealthy Gálvez family from Gibraltar. The bishop of Cádiz gave permission for it to be built. In 1981, the chapel was named a Bien de Interés Cultural. This means it is an important cultural property in Spain.
How Algeciras Grew
In 1704, an Anglo-Dutch fleet took control of Gibraltar. Most of the people living there left their homes. Some of these refugees built new houses near the chapel in Algeciras. They thought these new homes would only be temporary. They hoped Gibraltar would be taken back soon.
However, as time passed, this temporary settlement grew into a new town. This is how the modern history of Algeciras began. The city had been destroyed in 1379, so this was a new start. The chapel became a safe place for the statue of Our Lady of Europe.
The Statue of Our Lady of Europe
The statue of the Virgin and Child was very important in Gibraltar. It was honored in the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe. When Gibraltar was captured, the shrine was looted. The statue was broken, and its pieces were thrown into the sea.
Luckily, the statue was made of wood. A fisherman found the pieces floating in the Bay of Gibraltar. He gave them to Juan Romero de Figueroa, a priest from Gibraltar. The priest took the pieces to Algeciras for safekeeping. They were placed in the former Chapel of Saint Bernard. From then on, the chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of Europe. It was renamed the Chapel of Our Lady of Europe. The original statue was finally returned to Gibraltar in 1864.
Chapel Design and Features
The chapel was designed by the architect Torcuato Cayón. Inside, it has a single barrel vault ceiling. There is also a dome that rests on pendentives. This dome is divided into eight sections. In these sections and on the pendentives, there are pictures representing the Apostles.
The front of the chapel, called the façade, has two main parts. It also has a belfry for bells. Above the main door, there is a small space called a niche. In recent times, a statue of Saint Bernard, the patron saint of the city, has been placed there.
The chapel has faced some difficult times. In 1931, it was robbed. Then, in 1936, the bishopric sold it to a private person. By the 1940s, it was completely abandoned and used as a storage space for a mechanics workshop. However, in 1943, the town hall restored it. Another restoration happened in 1989 because the building next to it was destroyed.
Today, the chapel is home to two important religious groups. One is the Brotherhood of the Cristo Atado a la Columna (Christ Tied to the Column). This group has a statue made by José Román Corzanego. The other is the Brotherhood of María Santísima de las Lágrimas (Holy Mary of the Tears). Their statue was made in the workshops of the Salesian order in Seville.
See also
In Spanish: Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Europa para niños
