National Basilica de Lujan and Virgen de Lujan in Argentina

Virgin of Lujan, Patroness of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay

Our Lady of Luján is a celebrated 16th-century icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The image, also known as the  Virgen de Lujan, is on display in the Basilica de Luján in Argentina.

The feast day of Our Lady of Luján is May 8.

Virgen de Lujan – Our Lady of Luján

A Portuguese landowner, Antonio Farías de Sá, a neighbour of the city of Córdoba del Tucumán, commissioned a countryman from Pernambuco (Brazil), an image of the Virgin Mary in the invocation of the mystery of the Immaculate Concepción to be exposed to The veneration in the chapel that was building in its stay of the payment of Sumampa (Santiago of the Estero).

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From Brazil, the requested image was sent with and another one of the Virgin, placed separately in two drawers, which were transported to Buenos Aires from the port of Pernambuco on the ship of Captain Andrea Juan, who arrived at the destination by the Month of March, 1630.

On the road to Cordoba, at the beginning of May, when the troupe of wagons was on the banks of the Luján River, in a place known as the “Tree only”, the image that represented the Immaculate Conception determined to stay miraculously in that place for veneration of the inhabitants of the zone. When the caravan wanted to resume the journey, the oxen refused to move.

Once the crate containing the image was removed, the animals started to move again. Given the evidence of a miracle, people believed the Virgin wished to remain there.

The first feeling that gripped the hearts of the troopers and other people present was the astonishment; And after the usual demonstrations of devotion and respect, understanding that this image of the Immaculate Conception wanted to remain in that precise place, they decided to transfer it to the house of the Rosendo family’s stay. It was the population closest to the side of the royal road.

There they deposited it, in the best place of the house, and they improvised a precarious altar, where the Holy Image began to be venerated. The image was venerated in this primitive chapel for 40 years.

Then the image was acquired by Ana de Matos and carried to Luján, where it currently resides.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Luján – Basilica de Lujan

The Basilica of Our Lady of Luján is located in the city of Luján, about 70 km west of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Imposing a monument of faith, characteristic of the thirteenth century and one of the most important cases of the neogothic style of Argentina, together with the cathedrals of La Plata and San Isidro and the Capuchin church in the city of Cordoba.

It is a frequent error to consider it as the cathedral of the diocese to which it belongs, since that one is in the city of Mercedes. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Luján, the patroness of Argentina. For this reason, it is also considered the National Sanctuary of Argentina.

It has a length of 104 m and its width is 68.5 m  and 42 m in the front. It has two towers 106 m high, with a large cross in each.

It has a large organ, work Of the French firm Mutin – Cavaillé Coll, which possesses the highest air pressure of the Argentine organs, partly to fill the enormous ship of the Basilica with sound.

15 bells of the Basilica de Lujan

Basilica de Lujan has 15 bells. Each of them carries a name and a motto. They express different notes and have a different weight. The smallest has 55 kg and the largest 3400 kg, making up a total weight of 12 489 kg.

400 years of Basilica de Lujan

The basilica de Lujan is are preparing for the celebrations to remember the 400 years of the miracle of the Virgin (2030).

An image of its clean and pure Conception stayed on the banks of the Luján River. This Image is a sign of her maternal protection for the people of God who are pilgrims in Argentina. They want to thank Jesus for the gift of his Mother and for that, they invite you that if you were baptized in the sanctuary of the Virgin send them the photo of your baptism. The idea is to make a mural with all the photos, forming the image of our Mother the Virgin – [email protected]

The oil of the Virgen de Lujan – Our Lady of Lujan

The chronicles tell that the Black Manuel took care of the Virgin and kept a lit candle in front of the Holy Image. Whenever a sick man came to visit the sacred image, the faithful servant passed on the bait of the candles. Many of these patients were miraculously healed.

Nowadays, following this tradition, an oil lamp is kept on in front of the Virgin of Luján. In the sanctuary, cottons are moistened with this oil and given to the sick, to be applied on the forehead.

To receive the oil of the Virgin, approach the confessor priest in the Basilica de Lujan and tell him about your illness.

Photo credits:

By Luis Argerich from Buenos Aires, Argentina – Cathedral & Fountain, CC BY 2.0,
By Dario Alpern – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
De Dario Alpern – Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0
De Luis Argerich from Buenos Aires, Argentina – The Cathedral stairs, CC BY 2.0,

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