Basilicas in Spain—Granada

Cathedral Basilica of the Incarnation, Malaga, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1855.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Malaga.  Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the church to be built in 1487 just prior to conquering the city.  It is built on the site of a former mosque and was largely constructed between 1528 and 1782 using Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles.  The church was badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War but has been partially restored.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Yecla, Murcia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1868.

The neo-classical church was built between 1775 and 1868.

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

Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, Oria, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1890.

The Baroque church was built in the 18th Century but was damaged by Napoleon’s troops during the early 19th Century and during the Spanish Civil War in the 20th Century.  It has been restored.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. John of God, Granada, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1916.

St. John of God (1495-1550) was born in Portugal.  He was kidnapped at a young age, which caused his parents such distress that his mother died and his father became a Franciscan.  The young boy found himself in Toledo, Spain, homeless and impoverished.  He worked as a shepherd and later as a soldier but found little satisfaction.  The Infant Jesus appeared to him and told him to go to Grenada.  He eventually established a religious order, the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, to care for the poor, sick, and mentally disturbed.  The Baroque church was built between 1737 and 1750 to house John’s grave. 

The first picture is from Alamy, the second from Dreamstime, and the last two are from local sources.

Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows, Granada, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1922.

This church was built in the 16th Century to house an image of the Virgin Mary donated by Queen Isabella.

The first picture is from Dreamstime and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Sweet Name of Jesus Nazareno del Paso and María Santísima de la Esperanza, Malaga, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

The neo-Baroque church was built in 1988 by the Archconfraternity of Paso y la Esperanza.

The first two pictures are from a local source and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Victory and Mercy, Malaga, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2007.

This Baroque church was built between 1693 and 1700.  It has a statue of the Virgin Mary given to the city by King Ferdinand after he conquered the city in 1487.

The first picture is from Dreamstime and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Most Holy True Cross, Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2007.

The Baroque church was constructed between 1617 and 1703 and houses a smaller chapel.  The medieval chapel has a portion of the True Cross of Christ.

The top picture is from a local source and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica and Royal Shrine of Our Lady of Cabeza, Andujar, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

The Gothic Basilica was built between 1287 and 1304.  It houses a statue of the Virgin Mary found by a shepherd boy who was healed upon speaking to Mary.  Unfortunately, the church and the statue were mostly destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.  A new church has since been built. 

Pictures are from Alamy, a local source, and Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Alphonsus, Jaen, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

A chapel was built here in 1248, but after the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared there in 1430 that the building was expanded.  Work continued until the 18th Century, and the basilica has elements of Gothic, Renaissance, and Neoclassical styles, and even some Baroque and Rococo.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Charity, Cartagena, Murcia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

The Neo-classical church was built in the 18th and 19th Century to house a statue of Our Lady of Charity.

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

Basilica of Our Lady of the Alcazar, Ubeda, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2014. 

The building was a mosque until King Saint Ferdinand III conquered the city in 1233 and turned it into a church.  Construction took place in various styles from the 13th to the 19th Centuries.  It was badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War and was damaged further by a badly executed renovation in the 1980s.

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

Basilica of St. Mary Major, Linares, Andalucía

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2016.

This Gothic and Renaissance church was built in the 13th to the 16th Centuries.

Pictures are from Pinterest and Wikipedia.

Basilicas in France—Burgundy and Franche-Comté

I blogged about the following church on May 15, 2019.

• The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Besancon.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Cyriacus and St. Julietta, Nevers, Nievre

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1868.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Nevers.  Nevers is on one of the routes to the pilgrimage sites at Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  A 9th Century church here replaced an earlier church.  The current church began as a Romanesque church built in the 11th Century to replace the 9th Century church.  A series of fires in the 13th Century resulted in portions of the church being rebuilt in a Gothic style.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Paray-le-Monial, Saone-et-Loire

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1875.

The church was built in the 12th Century by an abbot of Cluny and the monastery eventually became a smaller version of the Abbey of Cluny.  The church has become an important pilgrimage site because a 17th Century nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, lived and died at the monastery.  St. Margaret Mary had visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and was encouraged by Jesus to spread devotion of His Sacred Heart to all the world.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Sts. Ferreolus and Ferrutio, Besancon, Doubs

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1912.

The Roman-Byzantine style Basilica was built between 1870 and 1898 in thanksgiving for protecting the city from Prussian troops.  It is named for two 3rd Century missionaries who were martyred for the Faith.  Other churches existed at this site prior to the current building.

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

Basilica of Our Lady of the White, Faverney, Haute-Saone

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1912.

A monastery of Benedictine nuns was here from 747 to 1132.  Benedictine monks took over in 1137 until they were expelled in 1789 during the French Revolution.  Today the Basilica is a parish church and the monastery buildings are in private ownership.  The white stone basilica dates to the 11th Century and uses both Gothic and Romanesque styles.  It has been renovated several times over the centuries.  A Eucharistic miracle is said to have occurred here in 1608.  A fire broke out in the church destroying the altar and much of the church, but the monstrance containing the Body of Christ was found suspended in mid-air above the burned altar.

Pictures are from Alamy, a local source, and TripAdvisor.

Basilica of St. Andoche, Saulieu, Cote-d’Or

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1919.

This church was built in the 12th Century as a collegiate church.  It replaced a 6th Century abbey church.  The church has 60 carved figures depicting biblical stories and religious teachings.

The first two pictures are from Alamy and the last two are from Pinterest.

Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, Vezelay, Yonne

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

The Basilica is the church for Vezesay Abbey, once one of the most important monasteries in France.  The Benedictine monastery was established in the 9th Century and the basilica was built in the 12th Century in a Romanesque style.  Possible relics of Mary Magdalene attracted pilgrims.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter, Luxeuil-les-Bains

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

This Gothic church was built in the 13th Century as an abbey church.  It is the fourth church on this site and is now a parish church.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Gray, Haute-Saone

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1948.

The church was constructed in the 15th and 16th Centuries using Renaissance and Gothic styles.  It replaced a church destroyed during the War of the Burgundian Succession.  It has long attracted pilgrims due to it having relics of St. Peter Fourier and a statue of Our Lady.

Both are from local sources.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Lazarus, Autun, Saone-et-Loire

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Pius XII in 1949.

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese Autun.  The 12th Century church has Cluniac inspiration and Romanesque sculptures by Gislebertus.  It replaced a 5th Century cathedral. 

All are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter, Paul and Andrew, Saint-Claude, Jura

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The basilica is the cathedral for Diocese of Saint-Claude.  The current 15th Century church replaced an earlier building that was the church of an abbey.  The abbey was founded in the 5th Century.  The current church became the cathedral for the Diocese when it was created in 1742.

Both are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Dole, Jura

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The Gothic Renaissance church was built in the 16th Century and replaced an earlier church.  The church was secularized in 1793 during the French Revolution before being returned to the Church in 1802.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Christopher, Belfort, Belfort

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1952. 

The basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Belfort-Montbeliard, which was established in 1979.  The red sandstone church was built in the first half of the 18th Century.

Pictures are from Dreamstime and Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Beaune, Cote-D’Or

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1957.

This Romanesque church was built in the 12th Century.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.