Baroque rendition of the Black Madonna of Loreto in the Greek Catholic cathedral in Presov, Slovakia. The ex-voti and thanksgiving tablets attest to her miracle working power and the faith of her devotees.

Like the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temple, she is veiled. Only copies of her are allowed to be viewed by human eyes. Of those “copies” (variations on a theme) there are countless around the world…

The Pearl of Moravia is yet another icon said to have been painted by Luke and brought to Constantinople by Empress Helen in the 4th century A.D

This is one of those Black Madonnas whose skin color might have been attributed to the Byzantine style, candle smoke, or the 'saponification of the white lead' in the paint, were it not for her halo…

The church Our Lady Under the Chain belongs to the Maltese Order, which published a brochure describing the church and its works of art…

She is a copy of the Black Madonna of Loreto. All a local tour guide had to say about her was: "She is like an address sign…”

She owes her title to the tradition that she appeared miraculously in these mountains. Her reputation for granting miracles is so great that people of all religions and even atheists come to her with their needs…

The city walls of Vilna were built around 1514 and include the two story tower of the Gate of Dawn, whose upper floor holds the chapel of this miraculous image…

This is what happens when you google translate and search Polish websites for Black Madonnas: you find a miraculous dark Mother of God, who fits almost all the criteria for being a Black Madonna…

Tradition says the Black Madonna of Czestochowa was painted by Luke right onto the kitchen table of the Holy family, which Jesus had made, with Mary sitting as the model…

The House of Habsburg, which held the throne of the Holy Roman Empire from 1438 – 1740 and ruled Austria till 1918, spread the Loreto cult all over its empire…

Though she does not bear the title ‘Black Madonna’ I included Our Lady of the Holy Linden Tree in this index because she shares so many characteristics of Black Madonnas…

The title ‘Black Madonna’ is not normally given to any Orthodox icons. As Ean Begg says, if it ever is “it is late and probably due to the influence of Catholicism.” Well, maybe due to Catholicism this…

During the Russian Revolution this icon left its home and began a long journey with its Russian Orthodox children into their Diaspora…