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## Consideración: Santa María de la "Antigua" is an invocation of the Virgin Mary attributed to Pope San Silvestre in the 4th century. Its name, "Antigua", alludes to Mary as the fulfiller of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. The first recorded veneration of this invocation took place in a me...

## Consideración: Santa María de la "Antigua" is an invocation of the Virgin Mary attributed to Pope San Silvestre in the 4th century. Its name, "Antigua", alludes to Mary as the fulfiller of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. The first recorded veneration of this invocation took place in a medieval village called La Antigua, in the province of León, in the 12th century. From there, devotion spread to the kingdom of Castile, Andalusia, and cities like Mérida, Seville, and many other towns in Spain and America. In the city of Seville, the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was located in a side chapel of the cathedral. The cathedral was rebuilt in the 14th century, but the image was preserved. It became known as Santa María de la Antigua (that is, of the Old Cathedral). The image is a canvas painting of the Assumption of the Virgin. The painting, which is 1.8 meters wide, depicts the Virgin holding the Child Jesus in her arms and a white rose in her hand. Both figures wear two imperial crowns of gilded silver.