Pius IX

Category: Civil Architecture > Memorial

District: Braga > Guimarães > Costa > Penha

Location

The statue of Pius IX stands on Penha Mountain, a prominent elevation in the locality of Costa, Guimarães municipality. Its privileged position allows visitors to enjoy a vast and inspiring panoramic view over the city of Guimarães and the surrounding landscape, making the site a choice spot for contemplation.

Tribute and Historical Significance

This monument was erected in honor of Pope Pius IX, a figure of great importance to the history and spiritual development of Penha Mountain. In 1854, Pope Pius IX played a crucial role by authorizing this site to be solemnly dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, bestowing upon it a sacred status.

The erection of the statue celebrates this pontifical act, particularly the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which occurred on December 8, 1854, in St. Peter's Basilica, through the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. This event profoundly strengthened popular faith in the Virgin Mary and consolidated Penha Mountain as a center of Marian devotion.

The Sculpture and Its Construction

The imposing statue, sculpted from Carrara marble, measures five meters in height and depicts Pope Pius IX in a gesture of blessing, holding the important document of the bull Ineffabilis Deus. The work is attributed to Pedro Afonso Pequito, an artist from the Lisbon School, and was a gift from the benefactor Fernando de Castro Abreu Magalhães.

The construction of the statue began on June 18, 1882, with the solemn laying of the first stone. Eleven years later, on September 8, 1893, the sculpture was officially inaugurated and blessed, marking a moment of great celebration and devotion for the community of Guimarães.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt