What makes a grotto a grotto?
What makes a grotto a grotto? A grotto is a small cave, the kind of place where you feel comfortable, cozy, and protected from the harsh realities outside. This word started in Greek (as the word that also gives us crypt), turned into Latin and then Italian, and finally landed in English in the 1600s as grotto.
What is The Grotto known for?
The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, also known as The Grotto, is a sixty-two-acre Roman Catholic sanctuary dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus. Located in northeast Portland, The Grotto, which opened in 1924, attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually.
Was Jesus born in a grotto?
The holy site known as the Nativity Grotto is thought to be the cave in which Jesus was born. In 135, Emperor Hadrian had the site above the grotto converted into a worship place for Adonis, the mortal lover of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and desire.
What is the religious meaning of Grotto?
The word “grotto” has become used almost exclusively to refer to Catholic shrines built into a rock formation. Often these rock formations are man-made, but they can also be found in natural caves throughout the world. Grottoes originated in both Greek and Roman culture and were associated with various gods.