17th Century Spanish School – Virgin Of Solitude

The Virgin of Solitude was the object of deep devotion, both in Spain and across the New World. From 1565 to 1809, her image was housed in the convent of Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, belonging to the Order of the Minims. Following the suppression of religious orders decreed by Joseph Bonaparte on August 18, 1809, the Minims were expelled, and the image of Our Lady of Solitude was transferred to the Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro.

This initial relocation was brief: after the return of Ferdinand VII and the restoration of religious institutions (by royal decrees of February 18 and August 26, 1813), the Minims returned to their convent, bringing the image back with them. It remained there until the Desamortización de Mendizábal (1836), which led to the final dissolution of the Convent of La Victoria and its subsequent demolition. The statue was then returned to the Collegiate Church of San Isidro.

This second stay lasted a full century, until the night of July 19–20, 1936, at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Following the military uprising against the Second Republic, over fifty churches and convents in Madrid were set ablaze — among them the Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro, where the Soledad de la Victoria was ultimately destroyed.