El Panecillo

El Panecillo (from Spanish panecillo small piece of bread, diminutive of pan bread) is a 200-meter-high volcanic-origin hill with loess soil, between southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of 3016 meters above sea level. The original name used by the aboriginal inhabitants of Quito was Yavirac. According to Juan de Velasco, a Jesuit historian, on top of Yavirac there was a temple, which the Indians used to worship the sun. This temple is said to have been destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores.

In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates to build a 45-meter-tall aluminum monument of a madonna which was assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. It is made of seven thousand pieces of aluminum. The monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Muñoz Vega. The statue was engineered and erected by Anibal Lopez of Quito.

The virgin stands on top of a globe and is stepping on a snake, which of course is classic Madonna iconography. What is not so traditional is that she has wings. The people of Quito proudly claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like an angel. The monument was inspired by the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna) also known as "the dancer" sculpted by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main altar at the Church of St. Francis. This Madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most renowned of the Americas) because it shows a virgin with great movement that is practically dancing in contrast with the traditional static Madonnas that were produced during the 18th century.

This monument today has a bronze placard affixed to it that reads "this is the woman from Revelations 12:1–18". The true identity of the figure is revealed. It is not a virgin.

A few meters to the north of the Madonna monument, there is an entrance to a large cistern (called the Olla del Panecillo), which was legendarily said to be of Inca origin; however, recent tests showed it dated from after the Spanish arrived. Driving Melchor Aymerich Street up to El Panecillo affords a wonderful view of downtown Quito. The area was notorious for street crime and muggings, but in the last few years there has been an increase in the police force around the hill, as well as increased lighting at night. There are even new restaurants opening on the hill. (Information from Wikipedia)