The image of Nuestra Señora de la Fundación is a variation of the Immaculate Conception. The statue of Nuestra Señora de la Fundación was built in 1726. The statue is considered Our Lady of the Foundation because it has been in the chapel in Monteivdeo since the foundation was built. In 1825, the statue was considered one of the most beautiful statues in South America, even giving many statues in Rome competition. The cathedral in which Nuestra Señora de la Fundación came to be known as "Mother Church" after the image, which was soon replaced by another from Italy. Along the way, the image of Nuestra Señora de la Fundación was lost in the Cathedral of Montivideo and later found in the foundation of the cathedral in 1952 during restorations. Following the retrieval, the statue was verified for artistic merit and authenticity and underwent restoration in 1953 by Ignacio Puig due to its old age. There is a significant relationship between Nuestra Señora de la Fundación and Cardinal Antonio María Barbieri. Cardinal Antonio María Barbieri was the first ever Uruguayan Cardinal, Pope John XXIII created him Cardinal on December 15, 1958. In 1940, Antonio María Barbieri became the Archbishop of Montivideo following Juan Francisco Argone. After the statue was restored and confirmed authentic, it was blessed by Cardinal Antonio María Barbieri. Nuestra Señora de la Fundación has been around since the beginning of the Cathedral of Montivideo, the first Uruguayan Cardinal, and now, still resides in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Cathedral Church of Montivideo today.