Saint-Michel basilica

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Basilica seen across the Garonne
Interior of the basilica

The Basilica Saint-Michel ( French Basilique St-Michel ) is a Roman Catholic church in Bordeaux in southwest France . It belongs to the Archdiocese of Bordeaux and is dedicated to the Archangel Michael . It is considered a station on the Via Turonensis Way of St. James and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998 .

history

With a length of 75 meters and a width of 38 meters, the Basilica Saint-Michel is one of the largest churches in Bordeaux after the Cathedral of Bordeaux. Most of it was built in the 14th and 15th centuries; the years of completion are given as 1473 and 1493. The 23 meter high nave with leaded glass windows from the 20th century, which were completely destroyed in World War II, has 17 ornate side altars, for example for the Apostle James the Elder .

Steeple

The 114-meter-high bell tower in front of the portal belongs to the Saint-Michaels-Basilica. Due to its distinctive shape it is also called "flèche", "arrow" and made the Basilica Saint-Michel the tallest building in Bordeaux for a long time. The tallest bell tower in southern France still towers above the twin towers of André Cathedral by almost 25 meters.

Appreciation

The church has been designated as a monument historique since 1846 . On April 1, 1903, Pope Leo XIII. the church to the rank of minor basilica .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. a b Eglise Saint-Michel
  2. Basilique Saint-Michel on gcatholic.org

Coordinates: 44 ° 50 ′ 3.9 ″  N , 0 ° 33 ′ 55.9 ″  W.