Basilica of Luján

The machine is located in the Church store.

History of the Virgin of Luján

The Virgin of Luján is the patron saint of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

A Portuguese landowner, Antonio Farías de Sá, a resident of the city of Córdoba del Tucumán, asked a fellow countryman living in Pernambuco (Brazil) to send him an image of the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. He intended to place it in the chapel he was building on his estate in Sumampa (Santiago del Estero). From Brazil, two images were sent: the requested one of the Immaculate Conception and another of the Virgin’s Maternity, each packed in separate crates. These were transported from the port of Pernambuco to Buenos Aires on the ship of Captain Andrea Juan, which arrived in March 1630.

In early May, as the oxcart convoy traveled along the royal road to Córdoba near the Luján River, at a place called “Árbol Solo” (Lone Tree), the image of the Immaculate Conception miraculously chose to remain there, becoming a source of protection and veneration for the local people. Over time, she became the Patroness of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and later of the sister republics of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

The oxen pulling the cart carrying the images suddenly stopped and refused to move. After unloading one crate (the Virgin’s Maternity), the cart still would not budge. But when they removed the crate containing the Immaculate Conception, the cart moved effortlessly. Realizing the miracle, they left the Immaculate Conception there and continued their journey with only the other image, which reached its final destination in Sumampa. This event led to the founding of the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación de Sumampa in Santiago del Estero, the traveling companion of the Immaculate Conception of Luján.

The first reaction among the cart drivers and witnesses was astonishment. After acts of devotion and respect, they understood that the image of the Immaculate Conception wished to stay in that place. They took it to the nearby ranch of the Rosendo family (also known as Bernabé González Filiano’s property), the closest settlement along the royal road. There, they placed the image in the best part of the house, improvising a humble altar where the sacred figure began to be venerated.