Lourdes Chapel (Escherndorf)

The chapel and the grotto with the statue of the Madonna

The Lourdes Chapel in Escherndorf is a church building dedicated to the Holy Madonna of Lourdes . It is located on a hill near the Volkach district in Lower Franconia .

history

The veneration of the Madonna of Lourdes was first proven in the Volkach area in 1887. Some Franciscan Sisters of the St. Maria monastery had brought a figure of Mary with them from their pilgrimage , which was placed in a grotto on the monastery grounds. However, this site was only intended for the monastery sisters and was initially not intended to be used for the veneration of Mary by other believers.

In 1891 Jakob Neubauer planned the construction of a Lourdes chapel in Escherndorf. He had just returned from France and was expecting a great pilgrimage to the new chapel. On January 1, 1892, his building application was accepted by the mayor of the community, but the local pastor had concerns: the chapel should not bring any costs for the place. It should also remain closed during regular services.

The little church was built that same year. Neubauer planned to cover the costs by selling devotional objects and donations from the pilgrims. When the expected crowds of pilgrims did not come, the winery owner Paul Sauer bought the chapel in the 20th century and set up a wedding chapel in it. During the renovation, the original church was heavily reshaped and a mapped biotope was destroyed. The chapel and grotto are classified as architectural monuments.

Architecture and equipment

The chapel presents itself as a small hall with a gable roof. A polygonal choir ends in a hipped roof . It is not easted , but was oriented to the northwest. In the southeast there is an attached, wooden roof turret with large sound hatches. A round arch portal leads into the interior. Two arched windows were installed on both sides to allow light to pass through. The church consists of quarry stone masonry with a wooden gable on top.

In the southwest of the chapel is the actual Lourdes grotto . A figure of the Madonna of Lourdes stands in a stone niche. An 18th century Christ carrying a cross has been placed in a larger grotto next to it. The entrance to the chapel is also decorated with such a representation. An inscription documents the renovation in 2004.

literature

Ute Feuerbach: The adoration of UL Frau von Lourdes at the Mainschleife . In: Herbert Meyer (Red.): Our Main Loop , Volkach 2008.

Web links

Commons : Lourdeskapelle Escherndorf - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Feuerbach, Ute: The adoration of UL Frau von Lourdes at the Mainschleife . P. 2.
↑ Main Post: Church builder lumbered illegally , accessed on September 3, 2016.
^ Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation Number D-6-75-174-320. Geospatial data: Monument number D-6-75-174-320 , accessed on June 26, 2014.

49.862865346738 10.173028707504Coordinates: 49 ° 51 '46.3 " N , 10 ° 10' 22.9" E

[1] Feuerbach, Ute: The adoration of UL Frau von Lourdes at the Mainschleife . P. 2.

[2] Main Post: Church builder lumbered illegally , accessed on September 3, 2016.

[3] Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation Number D-6-75-174-320. Geospatial data: Monument number D-6-75-174-320 , accessed on June 26, 2014.