Annunciation Basilica

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Annunciation Basilica (from the west)
Side view from the north

The Annunciation Basilica ( Hebrew כנסיית הבשורהArabic كنيسة البشارةGreek Εκκλησία του Ευαγγελισμού της Θεοτόκου ) is a Catholic church building in Nazareth . The basilica stands over the cave in the city of Nazareth , in which , according to Roman Catholic tradition, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary ( Annunciation of the Lord ).

Today's Basilica of the Annunciation is already the fifth house of God above the Annunciation grotto; it was built by the Italian architect Giovanni Muzio and consecrated on March 23, 1969. The three-aisled basilica is 67.5 meters long and 35 meters high; it is the largest church in the Middle East and one of its largest holy places. Two connected stone churches, the upper and the lower, were built over the ruins of the earlier one. The peculiarity of the building lies in the central domed structure that connects the three levels of the building. In the lower church is the place that tradition regards as the place of the Annunciation. The upper church contains many mosaics, frescoes and sculptures. The dome above is simple.

history

Chancel with the Annunciation grotto in the background
The Annunciation Grotto

A church is mentioned here for the first time in 570, and a church building has probably existed since the 4th century.

The Annunciation Church before its demolition in 1954 (photo taken around 1925)
Mosaic in the cloister of the basilica

According to the report of the Spanish Virgin Egeria , who visited Nazareth on a pilgrimage in 383, a “large and very splendid cave was shown in which Mary lived. An altar has been set up there ”. In Byzantine times, pilgrims who came to Nazareth were also shown a cave with a spring from which Mary is said to have drawn water according to apocryphal springs (possibly the spring under the present-day Greek Orthodox Church of the Archangel Gabriel ). The Gallic bishop Arculf , who visited Nazareth on his pilgrimage in 670, saw two "very large churches" in Nazareth, which could refer to the two places mentioned. At the time of the Crusaders , however, all Christian sites in Nazareth were devastated, according to the report of the pilgrim Saewulf (1101/02) the entire city had been devastated since the conquest by the Saracens .

The crusaders built a new cathedral , but it was damaged in an earthquake in 1170. Repair work could not be completed because of the defeat of the Crusaders in the battle against the Arabs in 1187, but agreements initially secured Christian pilgrimage. On March 25, 1251, the day of the Annunciation , the French King Louis IX. the saint attends the feast day mass in the basilica.

In 1263 Nazareth was conquered again and now finally by the Mameluks and the Basilica of the Annunciation, like all other churches, was destroyed on the orders of Sultan Baibars . However, pilgrimage visits were not stopped until 1291 after the fall of Akko and the final expulsion of the Crusaders from the remaining Frankish settlements and castles along the coast. The bricks of the small house that was built in front of the grotto are said to have been dismantled and rebuilt in Loreto in 1294 .

In 1620 the Franciscans were able to acquire the ruins of the cathedral and the grotto. In 1730 a church was built, which was enlarged in 1877 and replaced by a new building from 1955, which is considered the largest Christian sacred space in the Middle East. This new Basilica of the Annunciation was created by Pope Paul VI. 1964 blessed and on 23 March 1969 consecrated .

Pope John Paul II celebrated Holy Mass here on his 91st trip abroad on March 25, 2000, Pope Benedict XVI. on May 14, 2009.

organ

Chancel, to the side the organ

The organ of the upper church was built in 2012 by the organ building company Rieger (Austria). The slider chest instrument has 49 stops on three manuals and a pedal. The playing and stop actions are electric.

I Grand 'Organo C – a 3
Bordone 16 ′
Principals 8th'
Flauto armon. 8th'
Gamba 8th'
Bordone camino 8th'
Ottava 4 ′
Flauto 4 ′
Duodecima 2 23
Decimaquinta 2 ′
Ripieno grave IV 2 ′
Ripieno acuto III 1'
Cornetto V 8th'
Tromba 16 ′
Tromba 8th'
II Positivo C – a 3
Principalino 8th'
Bordone 8th'
Ottava 4 ′
Flauto camino 4 ′
Sesquialtera II 2 23
Flauto 2 ′
Decimanona 1 13
Piccolo 1'
Cimbalo III-IV 1'
Cromorne 8th'
tremolo
III Recitativo C – a 3
Quintatön 16 ′
Flauto 8th'
Bordone 8th'
Viola da gamba 8th'
Viola celeste 8th'
Ottavina 4 ′
Flauto trav. 4 ′
Nazardo 2 23
Flauto ottav. 2 ′
Terza 1 35
Pienino II-V 2 ′
Bassone 16 ′
Tromba 8th'
oboe 8th'
Clarino 4 ′
Campane (g 0 - g 2 )
tremolo
Pedals C – f 1
Principals 16 ′
Subbasso 16 ′
Violon 16 ′
Ottava 8th'
violoncello 8th'
Bordone 8th'
Flauto concerto 4 ′
Bombarda 16 ′
Trombones 8th'
  • Coupling : II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
View of the altar with the organ

The organ in the lower church was built in 2012 by the organ building company Rieger. The instrument was inserted behind the altar, in two niches to the left and right of the choir. The slider chest instrument has 17 stops on two manuals and pedal. The playing and stop actions are electric.

I Grand 'Organo C – c 4
Principals 8th'
Viola da gamba 8th'
Bordone 8th'
Ottava 4 ′
Principals 2 ′
Ripieno III 1 13
Tromba 8th'
II Positivo express. C-c 4
Principalino 8th'
Copula 8th'
Salicionale 8th'
Flauto armon. 8th'
Flauto 4 ′
Sesquialtera II 2 23
Flauto 2 ′
Pedals C – g 1
Subbasso 16 ′
Bordone 8th'
Bassone 16 ′

literature

  • Bellarmino Bagatti : Gli scavi di Nazaret . Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem
    • Volume 1: Dalle origini al secolo 12 . 1967
    • Volume 2: Dal secolo XII ad oggi . 1984

Individual evidence

  1. Basilica of the Annunciation ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / journal.55-millimetres.net
  2. Sermon of Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of the Annunciation on March 25, 2000
  3. Information about the organ on the website of the organ builder
  4. Information about the organ on the website of the organ builder

Web links

Commons : Basilica of the Annunciation  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Coordinates: 32 ° 42 ′ 7.7 ″  N , 35 ° 17 ′ 51.6 ″  E