Basilicas in Italy—Abruzzo—1

Basilica of Sts. Cesidius and Rufinus, Trasacco, L’Aquila

The church has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

A church was built here in the 3rd Century but was destroyed in 936 during a war.  The current church dates to the 13th Century and was expanded in 1618.

The first picture is from a local source and the second picture is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Mary of Collegmaggio, L’Aquila, L’Aquila

The church has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

Pietro da Morrone was a hermit who came to this area in the 1270s.  He had a vision of the Virgin Mary who told him to build a church here dedicated to her.  The church was built between 1287 and 1294 and today incorporates Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles.  In 1294, the hermit was crowned as Pope Celestine V.  Celestine tried to abdicate and ran away after only four months as pope but was captured and imprisoned.  He died in 1296 and is buried in this church.  He was canonized in 1313.  The church has survived half a dozen earthquakes and has what is believed to be the first Holy Door.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Panfilo of Sulmona, Sulmona, L’Aquila

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius VII in 1818.

The basilica is the cathedral of the Diocese of Sulmona-Valva.  A Roman temple was once on this site, followed by a church.  The current church was completed in 1119 and is dedicated to an early bishop.  Portions of the crypt date to the 10th Century.  The church uses several styles—Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque—often because restorations have been needed after earthquakes.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, Castel di Sangro, L’Aquila

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1856.

The Baroque church was built between 1695 and 1725 to replace an earlier church destroyed by an earthquake.  It has many works of art.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Co-Cathedral Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle, Ortona, Chieti

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1859.

The basilica is the co-cathedral for the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona.  The Gothic and Baroque church was built in 1127 but has been damaged many times by war and weather but has been restored many times as well.  Since 1258, it has contained significant relics of St. Thomas the Apostle (portions of the Apostle’s body are also in India).

The first two pictures are from local sources and the others are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Bridge, Lanciano, Chieti

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1909.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona.  There was a Roman bridge on this site and a statue of the Madonna and Child was found there in 1088—it likely dated to the 8th Century.  In the 14th Century, a church was built on top of the bridge.  The church was almost entirely rebuilt in the 18th Century using Neoclassical and Baroque styles. The river that once flowed under the bridge was diverted in the early 20th Century.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Shrine of St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, Isola del Gran Sasso, Teramo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

St. Francis of Assisi established a convent for his Order in 1215 and attached it to an existing church.  The Franciscans left in 1809 due to Napoleonic suppression.  The Passionists took over the convent in 1847.  St. Gabriel was among the Passionists and he died in 1862 at the age of 23.  The complex today consists of the “ancient” church (which is the Basilica), the convent, and a modern church (2014) in which St. Gabriel is buried.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Bernardine of Siena, L’Aquila, L’Aquila

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

Although St. Bernardine is mostly associated with Siena, he died and is buried in L’Aquila.  He died in 1444 and was canonized in 1450.  This church was built between 1454 and 1472 to house his remains.  The façade was built in a Renaissance style and the interior was rebuilt in a Baroque style following a 1703 earthquake.  The wood ceiling is adorned with pure gold.  The Basilica was further damaged by a 2009 earthquake but has been restored.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilicas in Italy—Molise

Co-Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St. Pardus, Larino, Campobasso

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1928.

The church is the co-cathedral for the Diocese of Termoli-Larino.  It was built in the 13th Century in a Gothic style.  Over the years, other styles were incorporated but a 19th Century renovation restored its Gothic features.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary of the Purification, Termoli, Campobasso

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1947.

The church is the cathedral for the Diocese of Termoli-Larino.  It was built in the 13th Century in a Romanesque style to replace an 11th Century church.  It contains the tomb of St. Timothy.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Shrine of the Sorrowful Virgin Mary, Castelpetroso, Isernia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2013.

The Virgin Mary appeared to two young shepherd girls on this site in 1888.  This neo-Gothic church was built beginning in 1890 to commemorate the apparitions.  Because of wars and other disruptions, the church was not completed until 1975.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilicas in France—Lorraine

Basilica of Epvre, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1874.

The local duke established a parish here in 1080 and dedicated it to St. Epvre, a 5th Century bishop.  The first church was replaced by a second church in the 15th Century that was built in a Flamboyant Gothic style.  The current Neo-Gothic building was built between 1864 and 1875.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter Fourier, Mattaincourt, Vosges

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1897.

St. Peter Fourier (1565-1640) was a priest who had served at this parish.  He was beatified in 1730 and by the middle of the 19th Century, local officials wanted to upgrade and enlarge the local church.  The neo-Gothic church was completed in 1853.  St. Peter was canonized in 1897.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1905.

The basilica was built as a parish church in a Romanesque-Byzantine style between 1902 and 1905.  It was inspired by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in Paris.  The stained-glass windows were designed by Joseph Janin.

The first picture is from Alamy and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes, Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

The Romanesque and Gothic church was built between 1908 and 1933 to serve a new parish.

The first picture is from TripAdvisor and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Help, Saint-Avold, Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1932.

A chapel was built here by Benedictine monks in the 16th Century who had found a statue of the Virgin Mary in a bush.  The Benedictines replaced the chapel with a larger church in the 17th Century.  A third chapel was built after the French Revolution.  The current Romanesque Revival church was built between 1889 and 1902.  The basilica was damaged during the Second World War but was restored.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Maurice, Epinal, Vosges

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1933.

The Romanesque and Gothic church was built primarily between the 11th and 13th Centuries but has been renovated since then.  Early on, the church was associated with Benedictine nuns.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Sion, Saxon-Sion, Muerthe-et-Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1933.

The church was built between the 13th and 19th Centuries.  It was once a pilgrimage destination for Dukes of Lorraine and before that for Romans and Celts.

All pictures are from Wikipedia

Former Basilica of St. Vincent, Metz, Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1933.

The Gothic church was built between the 13th and 14th Centuries although a Classical façade was added in the 18th Century after a fire.  It was once an abbey church.  It has not been used for Mass since the late 1980s and was deconsecrated in 2012.  It now is a venue for exhibitions, concerts, and other entertainment.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Joan of Arc, Domremy-la-Pucelle, Vosges

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1938.

St. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was born in Domremy and after receiving visions from St. Michael and other saints led an army to fight the English during the Hundred Years War.  The English controlled most of what is now northern France.  She was captured by the English and burned at the stake.  She was canonized in 1920.  The basilica was built between 1881 and 1926 on the site of the visions.  The neo-Romanesque building is made of pink granite and white stone.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Cathedral of Notre Dame, Verdun, Meuse

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1947.

The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Verdun, which was established in the 4th Century.  The church was originally constructed between 990 and 1024 in a Romanesque style.  Because of wars and fires, it has been restored and renovated several times.  A Gothic restoration was done between the 14th and 16th Centuries and a Baroque and Rococo restoration was done in the 18th Century.  Additional restoration was done after the First World War.  The church has 43 objects listed as historical monuments including vestments, liturgical objects, and statues.  The bell towers contain 19 bells.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Nicolas de Port, Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, Meurthe-et-Moselle

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The first church here dedicated to St. Nicholas was built in the 12th Century after a possible miracle attributed to the saint.  The current Flamboyant Gothic church was built between 1481 and 1545 by the Duke of Lorraine to celebrate a victory in a 1477 battle.  The church has 18 bells and some of its stained-glass windows date to the 16th Century.  The church was badly damaged during the Second World War, but a local woman married to a wealthy American paid for its restoration between 1983 and 2005.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Notre Dame, Avioth, Meuse

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1993.

A wooden statue of the Madonna and Child was discovered near here in the 12th Century.  Pilgrims (including St. Bernard of Clairvaux) started coming and this Gothic church was built in the 14th Century.

The first picture is from a local source, the second is from Pinterest, and the last two are from Wikipedia.