La Conquistadora, Santa Fe

La Conquistadora is a small wooden statue of the Madonna and Child now in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was the first Madonna brought to what is now the United States. The statuette is carved out of wood, and measures approximately three feet in height. A Catholic confraternity called, La Cofradía de La Conquistadora, exists to “promote devotion to the Mother of God under the title of La Conquistadora – Our Lady of Peace, and for the upkeep and maintenance of both of her chapels at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Rosario Chapel”. This confraternity is also responsible for maintaining the icon's chapel located in the north transept of the Basilica. The icon is dressed by the sacristana, or sacristan who maintains the vast wardrobe that includes clothing, veils, crowns, jewels and wigs. Cancer survivors often donate hair for use in fashioning wigs worn by the statue. The garments that the icon is clothed in are often sewn and donated by the faithful; all are rich in detail and very fine, often with elaborate designs. The estimate of her total outfits is close to 300. Even non-Catholics find occasion to honor the statue. For example, actress Ali MacGraw commissioned a piece that was displayed at Santa Fe's Spanish Colonial Museum in an exhibit about the icon mounted during 2010. The statue's origins are not well-known, but the 15th and 17th centuries are the most likely possibilities. Her arrival into America was made possible by the Spanish, who carried several versions of The Virgin Mary with them on their travels. There is a long history of armies carrying statues of saints into battle, for various purposes. Although the exact date of the statue's arrival in the New World is unknown, the Madonna was brought to New Mexico via Mexico City by priest Fray Alonso de Benavides, arriving in Santa Fe on January 25, 1626. Benavides wrote about this date in his journal, but the Archdiocese commonly uses the date of 1625. La Conquistadora was originally known as Our Lady of the Assumption. ()