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www.speleophilately.com
In
the Speleo Stamp Collector #19 (1985) I published a short article
presenting a Spanish cave, located in Manresa, which played an important
role in the life of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit
order. Unfortunately there are no stamps or philatelic material showing
San Ignacio in his cave known to-day as la Santa Cueva (Santa Cova in
Catalan).
At
the end of the 9th International Congress of Speleology which was held
in Barcelona (65 km SE of Manresa), I visited the cave - actually
nothing more than a rock shelter. Now part of a Jesuit church
overlooking the river Cardener, the cave is adorned with lavish
decorations, including a golden-rimmed glass case sealed on the rock
wall and protecting small crosses engraved in the hard limestone
certainly by de Loyola himself.
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The interior of San Ignacio cave (post card) |
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THE
MONUMENTS OF SAINT IGNATIUS |
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Sant Ignasi de Loiola (Saint Ignatius of Loyola), a pilgrim from Guipuzkoa
(Basque Province) Inigo López de Recalde y Loyola, lived in Manresa for
more than ten months. He arrived in that town from Montserrat on 25th
March, 1522 and left in mid-February, when he set sail for the Holy
Land.
There
are several temples and places of devotion commemorating his stay. and
various other elements wich took place at about that time. The main Ignatian Sanctuary is the Santa Cova, a grotto found at the southern end of
the Puig de Sant Bartomeu or Les Codines, opens out onto the Cardener
and looks out onto Montserrat. This grotto is famous as Sant Ignasi
sheltered there and prayed; where he also wrote his book "Exercicis
Espirituals" (The Spiritual Exercises).
Inside the grotto there are magnificent decorations, the work of the
Manresan Sculptors, Joan and Francesc Grau and Josep Sunyer (17th
Century-18th Century). The Church built beside the grotto is a typical
example of what is known as "Arquitectura Jesuitica" (Jesuit
Architecture), and is an outstanding monument of Catalonian Baroque
building. The main facade. work of Josep Morató. is dated 1760. The
interior contains some interesting sculptures of Joan Flotats and
paintings of Sebastiŕ Gallés. The Gallery or Vestibule, wich joins the
church with the grotto, is a notable example of Postmodernist
decoration, designed by Marti Coronas and put into effect by Josep
Llimona and Carles Flotats, among others.
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Reprinted from a booklet Manresa for visitors published
by the Ajuntament de Manresa.
The Colombian stamp, celebrating the 4th centenary of
Saint Ignatius's death (1556-1956), was signalled and sent to me by
Alejandro Ginés Sesma, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Yvert & Tellier catalogue (1978). Prices are in French
Francs (left are mint, right are used).
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Santa Cova |
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