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Ashes Virgin, La Plata, Buenos Aires
A fire distroyed the Argentine Theatre of La Plata in 1977. The papier mache virgin was not burnt...and was thus called the "Ashes Virgin"...
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Papier mache virgin Photo: Ivan Grondona
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La Plata Argentine Theatre’s Props Manager, Dino Orlandini, created the Ashes Virgin or Paper Virgin for the first act of the Opera “Tosca”. It consists of an image of the Virgin Mary created in papier-mâché. After being used in the opera, the image of the virgin was kept in one of the underground storerooms of La Plata’s Argentine Theatre.
In 1977 the whole theatre was destroyed because of a fire. However, the image appeared unharmed among the ashes of the storeroom. This was considered to be a miracle by the theatre’s personnel and the virgin was taken in a procession to La Plata’s Cathedral for safeguarding.
Due to the significance of the incident for all those who used to work in that old theatre, as well as for the whole city, it was decided to enthrone the papier-mâché Virgin Mary in an important altar on the left side of the Cathedral, naming it “Ashes Virgin”.
Later in time, the Ashes Virgin was taken to the Cathedral’s Ecclesiastic Museum, which was opened to the general public in 1994 underneath the Cathedral.
The new Argentine Theatre was inaugurated in 1999, and shortly afterwards it requested the Virgin from the Cathedral. The image was restored by the daughter of the sculptor, Raquel Orlandini, and was located in the first floor’s hall over a pedestal.
After changing its location inside the Argentine Theatre several times, today the image is no longer in exhibition.
About this article...
Author of the article: Grondona Olmi, Verónica
Sources employed:
- "El País que no Miramos" ("The Country we have not Seen"), a series of documentaries for television produced by Ivan Grondona. Archivo General de la Nacion ("Argentina's National Archive").
-Information provided by Dino Orlandini’s family.
Translated by: Veronica Grondona
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