Muxima | |
|---|---|
 Church of Our Lady of Conception | |
Muxima Location in Angola | |
| Coordinates: 9°31′S 13°58′E / 9.517°S 13.967°E / -9.517; 13.967 | |
| Country |  Angola |
| Province | Icolo e Bengo |
| Municipality | Quiçama |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,670 km2 (1,030 sq mi) |
| Population (2014)1 | |
• Total | 8,166 |
| • Density | 3.06/km2 (7.92/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Muxima is a town and commune in the municipality of Quiçama, Icolo e Bengo Province, Angola.2 The village, located by the Kwanza River, was occupied in 1589 by the Portuguese who erected a church and the Fortress of Muxima in 1599. Muxima means "heart" in Kimbundu and is the site of a Marian shrine.
Church
The church Nossa Senhora da Conceição, more well known as Nossa Senhora da Muxima, was first established in colonial Portuguese Angola in 1599.
It became a popular pilgrimage site after an alleged Marian apparition in 1833, and now receives over 1 million pilgrims annually.
During a Mass in October 2013, an act of vandalism caused some damage that was later repaired.3 In April 2026, Pope Leo XIV visited the shrine to pray the rosary.
References
References
- Citypopulation.de Population of provinces and communes in Angola
- "City councils of Angola". Statoids. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
- "Grupo de vândalos invadiu a Muxima". Jornal de Angola. Retrieved October 28, 2013.