Immaculate Conception and the Four Fathers of the Catholic Church

In this representation the iconography of the Immaculate Conception and the Tota Pulchra are combined. In the center, the image shows the Virgin illuminated by rays of sun, surrounded by four cherubs, and wearing a robe stamped with the symbol of the Cross of Jerusalem.

Above the Virgin stands out a crown surrounded by twelve stars; below, an inscription borders the inside of the crescent moon: Pulchra ut luna, ‘Beautiful as the moon’. Further down, a serpent undulates with the inscription Ipsa conteret caput tuum: ‘And she will crush your head’.

In the central area we see the monogram of Mary formed by Marian symbols and some litanies. The 'M' contains episodes shared between the Virgin and Jesus Christ. For example: the Annunciation, represented by the words of the Archangel Gabriel, lilies, and the Holy Spirit.

The 'R' is formed on a red solar disk accompanied by the inscription Electa ut sol that identifies Mary as the queen of Heaven. At the top there is a city: The City of God that alludes to the Virgin as the center of Catholic spirituality.

The 'A' is made up mostly of architectural images associated with the Virgin: the tower, a symbol of Mary as a defense against the enemy; the temple, which points to the Virgin as the mother of God and a sealed door representing virginity.

In the corners of the image the fathers of the Church stand out: Saint Gregory, Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine and Saint Jerome, whose representation refers to the theological validation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.