Madonna is a medieval Italian term for a noble or otherwise important woman, and has long been used commonly in reference to images of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The word has also been adopted by the English and other European languages. "Madonna", translates as "My Lady". While stressing the personal, if reverent relationship between the Virgin and the devout Christian who addresses her in prayer, it is comparable to the French, "Notre Dame", or "Our Lady". These names signal both the increased importance of the Cult of the Virgin and the prominence of art in service to Marian devotion during the late medieval period. During the thirteenth century, especially, with the increasing influence of chivalry and aristocratic culture on poetry, song and the visual arts, the Madonna is represented as the Queen of Heaven, often enthroned. Strictly speaking, the term "Madonna" should be used exclusively for Italian works of sacred art, but this is often not followed. Images where she is depicted with the Christ Child, her infant son, are technically of the Madonna and child, but are often loosely referred to as just a "Madonna".

The Virgin Mary is highlighted in Catholic Church music though the ages. The ancient Latin Gregorian Chant masses include two Marian masses In solemnitatibus et Festis Beatae Mariae Virginis and in Festis et Memoriis One of the earliest Marian compositions outside he Gregorian chant is the popular Salve Regina in Latin from a Benedictine monk, which exists in several Gregorian versions. Other Marian supplications exist in numerous Latin versions as well The List of compositions by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina includes numerous Marian masses:

Missa Salve Regina
Missa Alma Redemptoris
Missa Assumpta est Maria
Missa Regina coeli
Missa de beata Virgine
Missa Ave Regina coelorum
Missa Descendit Angelus Domini
Missa O Virgo simul et Mater
Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Mozart, Haydn and others are well known composers who contributed to Marian music. Less known is the fact, that before 1802, the secularisation, many religious congregations had their own composers. A totally unknown Father Valentin Rathgeber OSB, (1682-1750) wrote 43 masses, 164 offertories 24 concerts and, 44 Marian antiphones. Missa de Beata Virgine and the Messe de Nostre Dameare examples of individual contributions. Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine has remained structurally unchanged for the past 1500 years. Joseph Haydn wrote several Marian compositions including two famous Marian Masses: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed in honour of the Virgin Mary Latin masses and several shorter opera: Other known classic composers with Marian compositions mainly in Latin include Orlando di Lasso and Franz Schubert.