Basilica Maria Hilf (Brezje)

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Altarpiece Mariahilf
by Leopold Layer

The Basilica Maria Hilf (Slovenian Bazilika Marije Pomagaj ) is the most important pilgrimage church in Slovenia . The church in Brezje , which is subordinate to the Archdiocese of Ljubljana , was raised to the rank of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1988 .

history

The actual church dates from the 15th century and is dedicated to St. Vitus . Around 1800 a chapel was added to the church and dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians . In 1814 the miraculous image of Mariahilf was set up in this chapel , whereupon the first healings are said to have occurred very quickly. As a result, the flow of pilgrims rose sharply, so that the church soon reached its capacity limits. The consecration of the enlarged church took place in 1900, that of the associated Franciscan monastery as early as 1898. During the Second World War , the miraculous image was relocated to the Ljubljana Cathedral and Trsat . In 1996 Pope John Paul II visited the church and in 1999 it was declared a national shrine by the Slovenian Bishops' Conference .

architecture

The design of today's neo-renaissance church goes back to Robert Mikovitz . The facade in particular is conspicuously designed with mosaic symbols, inscriptions, decorations and a rose window.

The interior of the basilica is also based on the Renaissance , with a mosaic by St. Vitus above the high altar. All the altars in the church were made by Slovenian craftsmen.

The most important part of the church is the Mariahilf Chapel , the ceiling and altar design of which was designed by Leopold Layer . The floor is made of Bosnian granite , the walls are clad with marble from Istria . The altar, however, is made of Carrara marble .

facade
inner space

Web links

Commons : Pilgrimage Church of Marije Pomagaj  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 46 ° 19 ′ 43.7 ″  N , 14 ° 13 ′ 56.1 ″  E