Virgin Hodegetria
Vilnius, Lithuania 15th c.)
Orthodox tradition holds that St. Luke the Evangelist wrote (painted) this icon, which later belonged to the Byzantine royalty.
Painted on linden and cypress boards, itis a Hodegetria (way-pointing) icon, with the Mother gesturing toward her Son.
When the Ottomans conquered the last Byzantine stronghold in Greece, the defeated emperor took the Virgin's image with him to Rome in 1460. It was brought to Moscow in 1472 and later sent to Vilnius with his granddaughter.
During World War I, the Russian Orthodox Church evacuated many of their sacred objects from the war zones and the Vilnius Hodegetria was lost.
The Holy Spirit Monastery in Vilnius preserves a copy where the transfer is celebrated on February 28.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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