2012 m. gegužės 9 d., trečiadienis

Black, White and Magdalena

It may sound strange but the title refers to three images of two different saints one can find in Vilnius.
The first one is probably known best – the Black Madonna of Vilnius. There was one very common tradition in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 16th – 17th centuries – to have a painting of a saint or a statue of a saint near or above the city gate. The saint patron supposed to bless people who were leaving the city and greet those who were coming back. That is why the painting of Virgin Mary was hanged above the Sharp (Aštrieji) gates of Vilnius at the beginning of the 17th century. It seems that Virgin Mary took her duty seriously and very soon people started to talk about miracles performed by her. The painting became miraculous and the chapel was built above the gate. Soon after the painting was decorated with silver gild and Virgin acquired a crown made of 40 rays of the Sun. This was one of the reasons why she was called Virgin Mary of Dawn by Lithuanian romanticists during the 19th century despite the fact that the Sun doesn’t rise from that side of the city. The Poles still call the gate Sharp (Ostra Brama) and can’t understand where is the Dawn seen by the Lithuanians especially when the image itself is very dark. There is no one and clear answer why the skin of Virgin Mary is black. There are only couples of theories but today the Black Madonna Chapel in Vilnius is one of the holiest places for Roman Catholics in the World.
The second one is known less. It is the White Virgin Mary of Vilnius. This beautiful white sculpture was created during the 17th century and appeared in Franciscan church. The most unique fact is that the statue depicts an image of a pregnant Virgin Mary which is a very rear in the iconography. For centuries women of Vilnius used to pray to the White Mary willing to have a baby.
The last one is Magdalena or St. Mary Magdalena in the church of Sts Peter and Paul. It is the most unique statue in the church out of 2000 stucco sculptures decorating its interior. She is the only one there dressed in a Baroque style dress while all the others wear ancient robes. The reason of this anachronism is not Da Vinci Code like many people think, the reason is LOVE because Italian sculptor who made the statue loved his wife so much that he used her as a model for the sculpture of St. Mary Magdalena and now she is there forever.
Black Madonna, White Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalena are three Mary’s in Vilnius I find most interesting.
Justina
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