The Our Lady of Guadalupe played a central role in New Hispanic culture by becoming a unifying and transcendent symbol during the viceregal period. As a manifestation of Catholic faith adapted to indigenous sensibilities, her
appearance on the Tepeyac Hill was interpreted as a connection between pre-Hispanic traditions and the religion brought by the colonizers. Her image, mestizo and maternal, not only promoted evangelization but also became an emblem of identity that transcended the cultural and social barriers of her time.