From Valencia to Querétaro. Devotion to Saint James through an illustration by Vicente Capilla Gil

Abstract

The conquest of the city of Querétaro (Mexico), on 25 July 1531, on the feast day of Saint James, is commemorated in an illustration by a Valencian engraver, Vicente Capilla Gil, produced in 1792. The coincidence in the date of the two events led to a miraculous happening being recorded in the illustration: the appearance of the Holy Cross in the sky together with the Apostle, Patron Saint of Spain. This in turn led to the extension of the cult of Saint James and devotion to the Holy Cross throughout the ViceRoyalty of New Spain, and one of the main mission schools is named after it: Santa Cruz de Querétaro. The work done by the Franciscan Brothers in the context of missions is highlighted in an exemplary way in the illustration. The virtues and deeds of Brother Antonio Llinaz and Brother Antonio Marfil, of Spanish origin, as founders of the school, evangelists and apostle of Christ are underlined in the illustration.

Keywords

• illustration
• flemish
• franciscan
• allegory
• iconography
• missions
• cross
• cult
• saint james the apostle