History of Luján
From a small image of Our Lady, in 1630, to the city that welcomes millions of pilgrims.
- 1630
The cart that would not move
Two images of Our Lady arrive at the port of Buenos Aires from Brazil, ordered for a chapel in Santiago del Estero. According to tradition, by the Luján River the ox cart would not move until one of the boxes was taken down: a small terracotta Immaculate Conception, about 38 centimeters tall. There she stayed.
- 1630 · 1680
Manuel
The image is kept in a small oratory on the ranch of Rosendo de Trigueros. For decades it is looked after by Manuel, an enslaved man: he keeps the lamp burning and welcomes the first devotees.
- Around 1674
The move
Doña Ana de Matos takes the image to her ranch on the Luján River. Tradition says it kept “returning” to its place on its own, until an official move was made.
- 1685
The first chapel
Father Pedro de Montalbo, healed according to tradition with oil from the lamp, stays on as chaplain and finishes the first chapel, with Manuel’s help.
- 1755
The town is born
On October 17 the Spanish Crown grants the settlement the title of Town (Villa) of Our Lady of Luján.
- 1763
The first shrine
On December 8 the shrine that replaces the chapel is inaugurated.
- 1887
The coronation
On May 8 the image is crowned with a crown blessed by Pope Leo XIII, and May 8 becomes her feast day. That same month, on the 15th, the cornerstone of the Basilica is laid.
- 1890 · 1935
The Basilica
Father Jorge María Salvaire drives the project, with the architect Ulrico Courtois. The church opens in 1904 and is blessed in 1910; the towers go up between 1922 and 1926, and the work is completed in 1935.
- 1930
Patroness of three countries
Pius XI gives the church the title of minor basilica (November 15) and declares Our Lady of Luján patroness of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
- 1975
The first Youth Pilgrimage
In October some 30,000 young people walk from Buenos Aires. Today it is the largest pilgrimage in the country; 2026 is its 52nd edition.
- 1982
John Paul II in Luján
On June 11, in the middle of the Falklands War, the Pope prays in Luján for the fallen and their families.
- 1998
National Historic Monument
On March 12 the Basilica is declared a National Historic Monument.
- 2026
Leo XIV in Luján
On November 11 Pope Leo XIV will visit the Shrine: the first papal visit to Argentina in 39 years.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nuestra Señora de Luján
- Wikipedia: Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Luján
- Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Luján
Reviewed on October 4, 2026. Visitá Luján is an independent guide: it is not an official site of the Shrine, the Church or the Municipality. If schedules or dates change, the official sources prevail.