Muxima

Muxima is a town and commune in the municipality of Quiçama, Icolo e Bengo Province, Angola.^[2] The village, located by Kwanza river, was occupied in 1589 by the Portuguese who erected a church and a fortress in 1599. Muxima means "heart" in Kimbundu. It is the site of a Marian shrine. The town is the home of the 16th century Portuguese Fortress of Muxima.

Muxima
Commune
Church of Our Lady of Conception
Muxima Location in Angola
Coordinates: 9°31′S 13°58′E
Country	Angola
Province	Icolo e Bengo
Municipality	Quiçama
Area
• Total	2,670 km2 (1,030 sq mi)
Population  (2014)[1]
• Total	8,166
• Density	3.1/km2 (7.9/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)

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 is a popular pilgrimage destination in Angola, that can receive more than 1 million pilgrims annually.

It became a popular pilgrimage site after a suspected Marian apparition in 1833.

During a holy mass in October 2013, an act of vandalism caused some reparable damages.^[3]