BASÍLICA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL PINO
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pino Floorplan
1. Main Altarpiece
Ornately carved from dark wood, the main altarpiece is the work of Nicolás Jacinto, and is considered the finest example of Rococo art on the island. Crowned with the Virgin’s ornate silver throne, and with a glorious silver frontispiece decorating its lower section, it outshines all its competitors.
The basilica’s ornate altarpiece, seen from the nave
2. Nuestra Señora del Pino
For hundreds of years, the faithful have embroidered the flamboyant cloaks that adorn the Virgin. Beneath the gowns stands a wooden Gothic sculpture from the late 1500s or early 1600s. The theft in 1975 of a selection of precious stones from her crown is still a sore point among locals. For a close look at this statue, enter through the basilica’s camarín (shrine).
3. Treasure Room
This is where you can really get to grips with the importance the Madonna has for the people of the island. The room contains a bizarre selection of gifts from the faithful. An adjoining room shows the Virgin’s many outfits, some of which date back to the 18th century. She dons a different dress each year during the Fiestas del Pino.
4. The Crucified
This eerily lit image of Christ on the cross is another Luján Pérez piece, dating back to 1790. It is one of his best works.
5. Other Statues
Noteworthy sculptures in the basilica also include an image of St Matthew clutching a crucifix, and a gold-plated image of St Ramón Nonato. The most recent statue is The Sacred Heart of Jesus, which dates from the early years of the 20th century.
6. Stained-Glass Windows
The church houses some fine examples of stained-glass windows, such as an image of Pope Pius X from 1914, the year when the Virgin of the Pine was named the island’s patron saint. It is set on the main façade, with an impressive image of Pope Pius XII.
Pope Pius XII stained glass
7. Altar of Souls
The least flamboyant of the church’s altars is perhaps also its most striking, with its weathered painting of souls languishing in purgatory.
8. Rescued Relics
Two relics remain from previous incarnations of the church: a large stone font from the first, 16th-century chapel, now in the camarín; and, in the treasure room, a cross fashioned from the pine tree where the vision of the Virgin was first seen.
9. Christ Tied to a Column
The main focus of Teror’s Easter parades is an anguished statue carved by Luján Pérez in 1793. Considered one of his finest works, the image is flanked by statues of St Michael and the Resurrection, also from the late 18th century.
10. The Building
Little remains of the previous churches erected on this site. The octagonal tower was a feature of the 17th-century building; the present (1767) tower is a replica.
The basilica’s imposing façade
THE HOLIEST STATUE
On 8 September 1481, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Frías, bishop of Gran Canaria, in the branches of a pine tree. He could never have guessed how venerated that image of her would become. A statue of the Madonna was enshrined in a small church in the centre of Teror. Since then, the devoted have revered Nuestra Señora del Pino (Our Lady of the Pine). The original church has been replaced twice, and has gradually grown into the huge edifice we see today. It has become an important pilgrimage site, and there is an annual two-day festival, which culminates in an evening procession on 8 September.
Nuestra Señora del Pino is the patron saint of Gran Canaria; her statue is paraded through the streets of Teror on 8 September.
TOP 10 BIZARRE GIFTS TO THE MADONNA
1. Football signed by the Las Palmas team
2. Broken watch
3. British pound note with message asking for help
4. Toy car
5. Sports trophies
6. Academic certificates
7. Well-loved teddy
8. Garish souvenir-style statuettes
9. Specially composed poems to her
10. Military medals
