The terms Black Madonna and Black Virgin refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. The Jungian scholar, San Begg published a study of Black Virgins and their possible pagan origins. Examples of the Black Madonna can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries.
The paintings are usually icons, which are Byzantine in origin or style, some of which were produced in 13th or 14th-century Italy. Other examples from the Middle East, Caucasus or Africa, mainly Egypt and Ethiopia, are even older. Statues are often made of wood but are occasionally made of stone, painted, and up to tall. They fall into two main groups: free-standing upright figures or seated figures on a throne. About 400–500 Black Madonnas have been recorded in Europe, with the number related to how they are classified. There are at least 180 Vierges Noires in Southern France alone. There are hundreds of copies made since the medieval era. Some are displayed in museums, but most are in churches or shrines and are venerated by believers. Some are associated with miracles and attract substantial numbers of pilgrims.
Black Madonnas come in different forms. Speculations behind the basis of the dark hue of each individual icon or statue vary greatly and some have been controversial. Explanations range from the Madonnas being made from dark wood, Madonnas that have turned darker over time, due to factors such as aging or candle smoke, to a study by Jungian scholar Ean Begg into the potential pagan origins of the cult of the black Madonna and child or the intent to reflect the darker-skinned populations indigenous to certain parts of the world. Another suggestion is that dark-skinned representations of pre-Christian deities were re-envisioned as the Madonna and child.
Studies and research Research into the Black Madonna phenomenon is limited. Begg links a refrain from the Song of Solomon to the Queen of Sheba. This passage has been translated variously as "I am black, but comely" (King James Bible), or "Dark am I, yet lovely" (New International Version), among other translations. Recently, however, interest in this subject has gathered more momentum.
Important early studies of dark-skinned holy images in France were by Camille Flammarion (1888),L'Atmosphère : Météorologie populaire (1888), édition avec gravures fr. Marie Durand-Lefebvre (1937), Emile Saillens (1945), and Jacques Huynen (1972).
The first notable study in English of the origin and meaning of the Black Madonnas appears to have been presented by Leonard Moss at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on December 28, 1952. Moss divided the images into three categories: (1) dark brown or black Madonnas with physiognomy and skin pigmentation matching that of the indigenous population; (2) various art forms that have turned black as a result of certain physical factors such as deterioration of lead-based pigments, accumulated smoke from the use of votive candles, and accumulation of grime over the ages, and (3) miracle-worker Madonnas, the focus of the study, Black Madonnas found in areas of a Roman legion and, therefore, not a reflection of the indigenous population's skin colour.
In the cathedral at Chartres, there were two Black Madonnas: , a 1508 dark walnut copy of a 13th-century silver Madonna, standing atop a high pillar, surrounded by candles; and , a replica of an original destroyed during the French Revolution. Restoration work on the cathedral resulted in the painting in 2014 of , to reflect an earlier 19th-century painted style. The statue is no longer a "Black Madonna" and the restoration was severely criticized for wiping away the past.Filler, Martin "A Scandalous Makeover at Chartres", The New York Review of Books, December 14, 2014Ramm, Benjamin. "A Controversial Restoration That Wipes Away the Past", The New York Times, September 1, 2017
Some scholars have chosen to explore the significance of the dark-skinned complexion to pilgrims and worshippers rather than focusing on whether this depiction was intentional. By virtue of their unusual presence, the Black Madonnas have sometimes acted to make their shrines revered pilgrimage sites. Monique Scheer attributes the importance of the dark-skinned depiction to its connection with authenticity. The reason for this connection is the perceived age of the figures.
List of Black Madonnas
Africa Algeria, Algiers: "Our Lady of Africa" Ivory Coast, Yamoussoukro: Madonna and child inside Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Senegal, Popenguine: "Notre-Dame de la Délivrance" South Africa, Soweto: "The Black Madonna"
Asia
Japan
Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture: the Tenshudō Catholic Church features a Black Madonna statue from France dating to the Meiji Era.
The Philippines
Antipolo, Rizal: (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage of Antipolo)Baybay, Felicito S., "Patron Ng Kapayapaan At Mga Manlalakbay" Ermita, City of Manila: (Our Lady of Guidance) Santa Ana, City of Manila: (Our Lady of the Abandoned) Parañaque: (Our Lady of the Good Event) Lapu-Lapu City: (Our Lady of the Rule) Naga, Camarines Sur: (Our Lady of Peñafrancia) Piat, Cagayan: (Our Lady of Piat)Darang, Josephine. "Special Mass for Our Lady of Piat held July 9 at Sto. Domingo Church", Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 26, 2011 Joroan, Tiwi, Albay: (Our Lady of Salvation)
India Dhori Mata Korvi Mata, Dediapada, Gujarat
Turkey Trabzon: Sümela Monastery
Europe
Austria Lavanttal, Carinthia, Austria: St. Andrä im Lavanttal Basilica Maria Loreto
Belgium Brugge, "Our Lady of Regla" Brussels: "De Zwerte Lieve Vrouwe", St. Catherine Church Halle (Flemish Brabant) : Sint-Martinusbasiliek Liège: La Vierge Noire d'Outremeuse, Lier: Onze Lieve Vrouw ter Gratiën Scherpenheuvel-Zichem: Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel Tournai: Our Lady of Flanders in Tournai Cathedral Verviers: "Black Virgin of the Recollects", Notre-Dame des Récollets Church, Walcourt: (Notre-Dame de Walcourt)
Croatia Marija Bistrica: Our Lady of Bistrica, Queen of Croatia
Czech Republic Brno: Assumption of Virgin Mary Minor Basilica, St Thomas's Abbey, Brno Cesky Krumlov Monastery Museum Prague: The Madonna of Breznice; The Black Madonna in The Church of Our Lady Under the Chain (Kostel Panny Marie pod řetězem)"Church of Our Lady Below the Chain in Prague", Prague.cz The Black Madonna on the House of the Black Madonna. TROJA CHATEAU chapel- original "Montserrat Madonna" from Old Town Byzantine building (pg.100 of Martin Krummholz ISBN 978-80-7010-131-5)
France
Aix-en-Provence, (Bouches-du-Rhône): Notre-Dame des Graces, Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix Arconsat: (Notre-Dame des Champs) Aurillac (Cantal): Notre-Dame des Neiges Beaune: Our Lady of Beaune Besançon: Our Lady de Gray Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, (Puy-de-Dôme): Saint-André Church, Notre-Dame de Vassivière Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain): 13th century Chartres, (Eure-et-Loir): crypt of the Cathedral of Chartres, Notre-Dame-de-Sous-Terre Clermont-Ferrand, (Puy-de-Dôme) Cusset: the Black Virgin of Cusset Dijon, (Côte-d'Or): Church of Notre-Dame of Dijon Douvres-la-Délivrande, Basilique Notre-Dame de la Délivrande, "Notre-Dame de la Délivrande" Dunkerque, (Nord) : Chapelle des Dunes Guingamp, (Côtes-d'Armor): Basilica of Notre Dame de Bon Secours. La Chapelle-Geneste, (Haute-Loire: Notre Dame de La Chapelle Geneste Laon (Aisne): Notre-Dame Cathedral, statue of 1848 Le Havre,(Seine-Maritime): statue near the Graville Abbey (Abbaye de Graville) Le Puy-en-Velay: In 1254 when passing through on his return from the Holy Land Saint Louis IX of France gave the cathedral an ebony image of the Blessed Virgin clothed in gold brocade (Notre-Dame du Puy). It was destroyed during the Revolution, but replaced at the Restoration with a copy that continues to be venerated. Liesse-Notre-Dame (Aisne): Notre-Dame de Liesse, statue destroyed in 1793, copy of 1857 Limeuil (Dordogne): Sainte Catherine d'Alexandrie á Limeuil. This XVII century statue was broken and thrown in the Dordogne during the French Wars of Religion (1562 - 1598) but recovered and returned to the church. Marseille, (Bouches-du-Rhône): Notre-Dame-de-Confession, Abbey of St. Victor; Notre-Dame d'Huveaune, Saint-Giniez Church Mauriac, Cantal: Notre Dame des Miracles Mende (Lozère) : Cathedral (Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Privat de Mende) Menton, (Alpes-Maritimes): St. Michel Church Meymac (Corrèze): Meymac Abbey Molompize: Notre-Dame de Vauclair Mont-Saint-Michel: Notre-Dame du Mont-Tombe Myans (Savoie): Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Myans Paris, (Neuilly-sur-Seine): Notre-Dame de Bonne Délivrance, in the motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Thomas of VillanovaMariancalendar.org Quimper (Finistère): Eglise de Guéodet, nommée encore Notre-Dame-de-la-Cité Riom, (Puy-de-Dôme): Notre-Dame du Marthuret Rocamadour, (Lot): Our Lady of Rocamadour Saint-Germain-Laval: Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Baffy Sainte Marie (Réunion) : Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (Camargue) Avignon: Annual Roma pilgrimage and festival celebrating Sara, the patron saint of the Roma Soissons (Aisne): statue of the 12th century Tarascon, (Bouches-du-Rhône): Notre-Dame du Château Thuret, (Puy-de-Dôme) Toulouse: The basilica Notre-Dame de la Daurade in Toulouse, France had housed the shrine of a Black Madonna. The original icon was stolen in the fifteenth century, and its first replacement was burned by Revolutionaries in 1799 on the Place du Capitole. The icon presented today is an 1807 copy of the fifteenth century Madonna. Blackened by the hosts of candles, the second Madonna was known from the sixteenth century as Our Lady La NoireVanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe, Norman Davies Tournemire, Château d'Anjony, Our Lady of Anjony Vaison-la-Romaine (Vaucluse): statue on a hill Vichy (Allier): Saint-Blaise Church
Germany
Altötting (Bavaria): Gnadenkapelle (Chapel of the Miraculous Image) Beilstein (Rhineland-Palatinate): Karmeliterkirche St. Joseph Bielefeld (North Rhine-Westphalia) Düsseldorf-Benrath (North Rhine-Westphalia): Pfarrkirche St. Cäcilia Hirschberg an der Bergstraße (Baden-Württemberg): Wallfahrtskirche St. Johannes Baptist Schloss Hohenstein, Upper Franconia (Bavaria) Köln (North Rhine-Westphalia): St. Maria in der Kupfergasse Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim (Rhineland-Palatinate): Schloss- und Wallfahrtskirche Mariä Himmelfahrt (Ludwigshafen) Mainau (Baden-Württemberg): Schlosskirche St. Marien Munich (Bavaria): Theatine Church; St. Boniface's Abbey Rastatt (Baden-Württemberg): Einsiedelner Kapelle Regensburg (Bavaria): Regensburg Cathedral Remagen (Rhineland-Palatinate): Kapelle Schwarze Madonna Spabrücken (Rhineland-Palatinate) Stetten ob Lontal, Niederstotzingen (Baden-Württemberg) Windhausen in Boppard-Herschwiesen (Rhineland-Palatinate) Wipperfürth (North Rhine-Westphalia): St. Johannes, Kreuzberg Wuppertal-Beyenburg (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Greece Hidden church of the Black Madonna, Vamos, Crete
Hungary
Cathedral Basilica of Eger: Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Ireland Dublin (Leinster): Our Lady of Dublin in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church
Italy
Biella (Piedmont): Black Virgin of Oropa, sanctuary of Oropa Canneto Valley near Settefrati (Lazio): Madonna di Canneto Casale Monferrato (Piedmont): Our Lady of Crea. In the hillside Sanctuary at Crea (Santuario di Crea), a cedar-wood figure, said to be one of three Black Virgins brought to Italy from the Holy Land c. 345 by St. Eusebius. Castelmonte, Prepotto (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)