Issue date: 16 Jun, 2007

EFEMÉRIDES.Coronación Canónica de María Stma. de la O. Sevilla

CONSULT RATES

EFEMÉRIDES.Coronación Canónica de María Stma. de la O. Sevilla

HISTORY

A new stamp is issued within the important events series devoted to the commemorations of the Coronation of Maria Santísima de la O, a religious event which will take place on the 16th June in Triana, a district of Seville.

The Coronation of this virgin is an acknowledgement to the devotion and veneration of the people of Seville towards this image. It is the most important recognition the Catholic Church has made towards this Virgin who is very popular amongst thousand of faithful, associations, brotherhoods, apostolic movements and civil and cultural associations in Seville. The current wood carving of Maria Santísma de la O was made by well known craftsman Antonio Castillo Lastrucci in 1937 replacing the original one destroyed during the Civil War. It represents a painful Virgin with a tilted head and an expressive look in her black eyes from which fall five crystal tears. The mouth is thin and small with half-opened lips showing the upper teeth. The statue is of real size, measuring approximately 1,62 cm and has articulated arms .The fingers are spread out and slightly flexed holding a handkerchief. The Virgen de la O is located in the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la O in Triana , and its author, Castillo Lastrucci (Seville 1882-1967) is one of the most famous religious sculptors in Andalusia . He studied in the Art School of Seville (Escuela Provincial de Bellas Artes de Sevilla) and soon stood out with his work, and received many awards from the provincial government. At the beginning, he carved figures related to bull fighting of which he was very fond and then moved on to religious themes and specially to the religious compositions which come out in the Easter processions. Due to the great success of his work and the number of orders he received from the different brotherhoods, in 1923 he opened his own workshop where he trained many a craftsman very well known today. He produced over 450 pieces spread all over the country. The stamp depicts the afflicted face of María Santísima de la O, one of the most loved and venerated images by the people of Seville.