Notre-Dame (Arcachon)

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Notre-Dame from the southeast
inner space
Chapel of the Sailors
Interior of the chapel

The Basilica minor Notre-Dame (" Our Lady ") is a Roman Catholic parish church in Arcachon on the Bay of Biscay in the French Gironde department . It was added to the small historic seaman's chapel ( Chapelle des Marins ) from 1856 to 1860 and together with it forms a Marian shrine , which was previously visited mainly by seafarers. The neo-Gothic cross basilica belongs to the Archdiocese of Bordeaux .

history

Up until the middle of the 19th century, Arcachon was a small fishing village that ecclesiastically belonged to the parish of La Teste-de-Buch . In the village there was a Lady Chapel with a miraculous image , which fishermen and seafarers visited before and after the trip to ask and thank. Its origin is traced back to the Blessed Thomas Illyricus , a Franciscan who settled as a hermit in the Arcachon area in the 1520s after an intensive preaching life in Italy and southern France . According to tradition, he watched two ships in distress there while praying. He drew a cross in the sand, called to God, and the storm subsided, the ships were saved. While he was still thanking for it, he discovered a washed-up figure of Our Lady with child at his feet. He saw it as a sign of grace and built a small wooden chapel for the image of Mary. Twice destroyed by wind and weather, it was rebuilt in 1722 a little further inland as a small baroque stone building. This chapel has been preserved to this day; even the terrorist terror did not dare to touch them.

Around the middle of the 19th century, Arcachon developed into a popular seaside resort , mainly thanks to the active work of Pastor Xavier Mouls . The small Marienkapelle was no longer sufficient for the foreigners, but also for the growing local population. Therefore, with the help of generous donations, the new church was built next to it from 1856 and consecrated in 1860. The plans came from Gustave Alaux , who played a decisive role in designing the entire new seaside resort. In 1870 Pope Pius IX granted at the request of Cardinal Donnet a privilege of indulgence and ordered the coronation of the image of Mary , which, delayed by the Franco-Prussian War , took place in July 1873 together with the consecration of the city to the Blessed Mother in a celebration lasting several days. By 1884, Michel Alaux expanded the church to its present form. 1953 awarded her Pius XII. the title of Basilica. The patronage festival is celebrated on March 25th .

Building

chapel

The sailor chapel, a simple flat rubble stone - hall building with polygonal Ostabschluss is equipped with Baroque altars and paintings. In a niche above the main altar stands the crowned Mother of God with her child, whom Brother Thomas is said to have found on the beach. Numerous votive offerings  - tablets, pictures, hearts - testify to answers to prayer.

basilica

The basilica is built of brick with sandstone edges and reveals. The three-aisled building with transept, slender bell tower and ribbed vault is based on early Gothic models. Due to the right-angled chapel, it faces south.

The choir is dominated by a large fresco that extends over all segments of the polygonal rear wall and depicts the ordination of 1873 with many figures. It was created by Guillaume Alaux in 1885 .

Choir, fresco cycle

The organ from 1863 has been changed several times. During the last restoration in 1992, the original condition was restored. It has 23 stops on two manuals and a pedal. Charles Gounod played it regularly during his frequent stays in Arcachon.

literature

  • André Rebsomen: Notre-Dame d'Arcachon . Bordeaux 1937 ( new edition, partially digitized )
  • Couronnement de Notre-Dame d'Arcachon le 16 juillet 1873 par son Éminence le Cardinal Donnet , Bordeaux 1873 ( digital copy )

Web links

Commons : Notre-Dame (Arcachon)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The scene can also be found in the Arcachon coat of arms .
  2. ↑ Couronnement pp. 3-4
  3. ^ Xavier Mouls, initially unrestricted authority on site and in 1863 from Napoleon III. personally awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor during his visit to Arcachon , had numerous opponents in the citizenry at the end of the 1860s and was completely sidelined at the time of the First Vatican Council due to its rejection of papal infallibility . He died in Brussels in 1878 and was not mentioned in Arcachon for decades ( biography on gallican.org ).
  4. ↑ gcatholic.org
  5. ↑ orguesfrance.com

Coordinates: 44 ° 39 '40.1 "  N , 1 ° 10' 53.2"  W.