Basilicas in France—Centre 

Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Cross, Orleans

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1855.

The Gothic church was built between 1278 and 1329 and is the cathedral for the Diocese of Orleans.  The church was destroyed in 1568 by the Huguenots but was rebuilt between 1601 and 1829.  Joan of Arc led French forces against the English during the Siege of Orleans (1428-1429).  This was a significant victory for the French during the Hundred Years’ War.

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

Basilica of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Issoudun

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1874.

The founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jules Chevalier, ordered the building to be built.  The neo-Gothic church was constructed between 1857 and 1864.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Clery, Clery-Saint-Andre

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1894.

After the discovery of a statue of the Blessed Virgin, King Philip IV (the Fair) built a church in about 1300 to accommodate the pilgrims.  This church was destroyed by English troops in 1428.  King Louis XI built the current Gothic church from 1449 to 1485.  Louis and his wife are buried in the church although his original tomb was destroyed (along with the statue of the Virgin Mary) by Protestants in 1562.  King Louis XIII had a tomb built as well, but his tomb was destroyed during the French Revolution.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Children, Chateauneuf-sur-Cher

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1898.

The neo-Gothic church was built from 1869 to 1879 to replace a 16th Century church.  The church is noted for its stained-glass windows and the Stations of the Cross.

All pictures are from Wikipedia

Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, Chartres

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1908.

Information about Chartres Cathedral—one of the most famous churches in the world—can be found in many sources.  It was built between 1194 and 1220 and is thought to be the sixth cathedral for the diocese.  Chartres is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture.  Its most famous relic is the tunic that Mary wore at Jesus’ birth.  It has survived fires and the French Revolution.  It was saved from American attack in 1944 by an U.S. Army colonel, who died later that day in combat.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. James the Greater, Neuvy-Saint-Sepulchre

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1910.

This church was built in the 12th Century and is modeled on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.  As a relic, it has two drops of the Precious Blood of Jesus given to the church by a Cardinal who was a friend of King Louis IX (Saint Louis).

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Martin of Tours, Tours

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

The Basilica is the burial site of St. Martin of Tours, a 4th Century bishop in what is now France.  He was born in what is now Hungary and he died in 397.  A church was built on this site in the 5th Century but was destroyed during the French Revolution (mainly because it had become dilapidated).  The current neo-Byzantine church was built between 1886 and 1924.  The original church was associated with an abbey at which Caroline minuscule was developed—an important step in handwriting.

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

Basilica of St. Benedict, Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1949.

The Basilica is better known as the Abbey of Fleury.  Founded in 651, it is one of the oldest Benedictine abbeys.  St. Benedict is buried here.  The Abbey became one of the great centers of learning by the 11th Century.  It was in the 11th Century that the current Romanesque abbey was built to replace one destroyed by fire.  The abbey has experienced much over the centuries but is active today.

 

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

Basilica of Our Lady of the Trinity, Blois

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1956.

The modern-style church was built between 1932 and 1939 by the Capuchins to promote a devotion known as “the three Hail Marys.”  The bell tower is almost 200 feet high.

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