Basilicas in France—Paris Region
I blogged about the following basilica on May 15, 2019.
- Cathedral Basilica of Notre Dame, Paris
Basilica of St. Clotilde, Paris
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1898.
The church was built between 1846 and 1857. It is built in a neo-Gothic style—the first church in France to use this style.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of St. Denis, Argenteuil
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1898.
The Neo-Romanesque church was built in the mid-19th Century to replace a 15th Century church. It has a tunic thought to be the one worn by Jesus during his Passion. Legend has it that the tunic was given to Charlemagne by a Byzantine official.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica Cathedral of St. Stephen, Meaux
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1912.
The Basilica is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Meaux. The Gothic stone church was constructed between 1175 and 1540. The church was looted and damaged in 1562 by the Huguenots and was damaged in the early 1800s, first by lightning and then by the explosion of a nearby gunpowder magazine. It was restored between 1839 and 1894.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Protection, Longpont-sur-Orge
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1913.
The Romanesque church (with a Gothic façade) was built between 1031 and 1230. It is built on the site of the oldest Marian veneration in the area—dating to the Third Century. The church was renovated in the 19th Century. The church has 1,294 relics of 528 saints.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, Paris
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1919.
The Basilica is one of the most prominent buildings in Paris. It was built of travertine stone between 1875 and 1914 using a combination of Byzantine and Romanesque styles. It is on a hill over 600 feet above the Seine River. Only the Eiffel tower attracts more tourists in Paris. It was built by those who thought that France had fallen into moral decay since the French Revolution. French politicians on the political left have opposed the Basilica from its establishment through the present day. The Basilica has had perpetual adoration of the Holy Eucharist since 1885 and is built on the site of the martyrdom of St. Denis, patron saint of Paris.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of Our Lady of Victories, Paris
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1927.
King Louis XIII ordered the building of this church to celebrate his victory over Protestant armies in 1628. The Baroque church was built between 1629 and 1740. The church is noted for ex voto offerings made by the faithful—over 37,000 plaques, silver and gold hearts, and military decorations, are on display. In 1836, the parish priest started what is now the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A religious order—the Claretian Missionary Fathers—was also established. Mozart, John Henry Newman, and a young Therese Martin (St. Therese of Lisieux) have all prayed here.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, Paris
Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1966.
The neo-Gothic church was completed in 1898.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
Basilica Cathedral of St. Denis, St. Denis
The church has long been considered a basilica but has never been recognized as such by the Vatican. It is the cathedral for the Diocese of St. Denis, but it is most noted for being the burial place of French kings and queens. The Gothic church was built between 1135 and 1144 to replace an earlier church built to house the relics of St. Denis, the first bishop of Paris and an early 3rd Century Christian martyr. Some consider this church to be the first Gothic building. Nearly every French king from the 10th Century to the 19th Century is buried here. The Basilica was vandalized and desecrated during the French Revolution but was restored in the early 1800s under orders from Napoleon.
All pictures are from Wikipedia.
