Tilma of Juan Diego

The tilma is made from ayate, a coarse fabric woven from the fibers of the maguey cactus. These natural fibers typically degrade and decompose within 15 to 20 years, making the cloak's survival since the 16th century a major point of religious and scientific interest.

The tilma is currently housed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It is mounted in a climate-controlled, bulletproof glass frame above the main altar to protect the delicate image from the massive crowds of pilgrims.

The cloak bears a life-sized image of a pregnant indigenous woman surrounded by a mandorla of light, recognized as the Virgin Mary. The image was traditionally believed to have appeared miraculously on the tilma in December 1531, when it was presented to the Bishop of Mexico.

In 1921, a bomb planted by an anti-clerical activist exploded directly beneath the tilma, destroying the altar steps and bending a heavy brass crucifix. The tilma itself, as well as the glass covering it at the time, remained miraculously unharmed and intact.