Virgen de Quito

Statue at night seen from downtown Quito

El Panecillo (from Spanish panecillo small piece of bread, diminutive of pan bread) is a 200-meter-high volcanic-origin hill with loess soil, between southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of 3016 meters above sea level. The original name used by the aboriginal inhabitants of Quito was Yavirac. According to Juan de Velasco, a Jesuit historian, on top or Yavirac there was a temple which the Indians used to worship the sun. This temple is said to have been destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores. Description: The Virgen de Quito is a winged statue of the Madonna on the Panecillo rise in Quito, Ecuador. ... Description: The Virgen de Quito is a winged statue of the Madonna on the Panecillo rise in Quito, Ecuador. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 541 KB) Summary La Virgen del Panecillo at night, on top of the Panecillo mount, center of Quito. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 541 KB) Summary La Virgen del Panecillo at night, on top of the Panecillo mount, center of Quito. ... This article is about volcanoes in geology. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: Luz de América Map of Ecuador showing location of Quito Coordinates: Country Ecuador Province Pichincha Canton Quito  - Mayor Paco Moncayo Area approx    - City 290 km²  - Land 290 km²  - Water 0 km² Elevation 2,800 m Population (2005, estimation)  - City 1,865,541 (canton)  - Density ~4,800/km² Time... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ... Conquistador (Spanish: []) (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers and adventurers who brought much of the Americas and Asia Pacific under Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 17th centuries, starting with the 1492 settlement established in the modern-day Bahamas...

In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates to build a 45-meter-tall aluminum monument of a madonna which was assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. It is made of seven thousand pieces of aluminum. The monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Muñoz Vega. An Oblate in Christian monasticism (especially Roman Catholic and Anglican; the Orthodox Christian equivalent is called a Rasophore) is any person who has been offered to God, or have dedicated themselves to His service, in holy religion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ...

The virgin stands on top of a globe and stepping on a snake, which of course is classic madonna iconography. What is not so traditional is that she has wings. The people of Quito proudly claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like an angel. The monument, which has dubious aesthetic value, was inspired on the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna) also known as "the dancer" sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main altar at the Church of St. Francis. This madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most renowned of the Americas) because it shows a virgin with great movement that is practically dancing as a contrast with the traditional static madonnas that were produced during the 18th century. Look up Iconography in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Events January 8 - Premiere of George Frideric Handels opera Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. ...

A few meters to the north of the madonna monument, there is an entrance to a large cistern (called the Olla del Panecillo), which was legendarily said to be of Inca origin; however, recent tests showed it dated from after the Spanish arrived.^{[citation needed]}

Driving Melchor Aymerich street up to El Panecillo affords a wonderful view of downtown Quito. The area was notorious for street crime and muggings, but in the last few years there has been an increase in the police force around the hill, as well as increased lighting at night. There are even new restaurants opening on the hill.

External links

• El Panecillo