Uncovering the Virgen del Panecillo Book Party
Join the Latin American Feminisms Working Group and the Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies Department in celebrating Dr. María Célleri's publication of Uncovering the Virgen del Panecillo: Quito's Postcolonial Urban Transformations (University of Illinois Press, 2026).*
Appropriately, this celebration brings us together for Hallows Eve, Samhain, Día de los Muertos, and Día de los Difuntos, as we invite those who have crossed over to join the living in festivity.
If you want to join the fun, come in your best Baroque-inspired goth attire, bring ofrendas to the altar, invite your ancestors (especially the ones who bring whimsy to the party), and bring a mask, as they are MANDATORY! We will have masks for those that need one, drinks and light snacks, a raffle to win a copy of the book, and a whole lot of weird.
About the book: Taller than Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, the Virgen del Panecillo draws visitors to the center of Quito, Ecuador, to take advantage of the site’s unique view of the city. But few know the history behind El Panecillo or the monument.
María Célleri examines the eighty-year effort to complete Quito’s soaring monument to the Virgin Mary. Focusing on the negotiations behind the project, Célleri uncovers the links between the government and Church—links that became stronger during moments of political and economic transition. Célleri also investigates how the city’s residents and activists, and artists like filmmakers, graffiti artists, and photographers, interact with the monument. Throughout, she examines questions such as the Virgen del Panecillo’s service to Ecuador as a form of cultural capital, the Virgen’s symbolic meanings to different groups, and the often-hidden connections between colonialism, Catholicism, and artistic production.
Original and multifaceted, Uncovering the Virgen del Panecillo provides readers with a rigorous decolonial analysis of an iconic monument and its history.
Use code S26UIP for 30% off when purchasing HERE.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.