Paris1972-Versailles2003

I have another post on it and a wonderful experience on my visit to Saint Lô ,but left some pictures out that should be in my blog, Therefore, this is a second post on the Church Notre Dame !! Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Notre-Dame Church is in the Gothic-style erected over four centuries from the end of the 13C and strongly marked by the Battle of Normandy (WWII). As such, it is a “memorial” of the destruction of WWII. The parish church and former collegiate Church of Notre-Dame built from the 13C to the 20C is rightly considered the symbol of the city. This church dedicated to Notre Dame originates from the parish of the castle of Saint-Lô on Mont Briovère: the parish of l’Enclos whose patron was the lord of the castle, namely the bishop of Coutances.

The builders of the 15C gave so much majesty to this stone church dominating the upper town that it is readily given the title of cathedral. Located at the meeting of the second north collateral and the ambulatory built by Geoffroy Herbert, bishop of Coutances, offers a delicate flamboyant decor and recalls those of Brittany, It was intended for the publication of the acts of the civil jurisdiction of the Bishop of Coutances which was also Baron de Saint-Lô. The pulpit was used for the outdoor preaching of Saint Jean-Eudes (1642, 1663, 1675-1676) and Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1714) who could thus evangelize in the open air the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the episcopal palace. In “Choses vues” or Things seen, Victor Hugo tells that the external pulpit was struck by alignment by the municipal urban plan of 1863. We owe him a drawing of the pulpit which, thanks to him, was saved from destruction.

The Notre Dame Church has old 15C stained glass windows, removed during the bombing period of WWII. Among them, the royal stained glass window which, according to tradition, was offered by Louis XI around 1470; it features the Coronation of the Virgin and the story of Saint Crepin and Saint Crepinian.

The old organ of the Church of Notre Dame built by Ingout in 1663 and romanticized by Louis Debierre in 1885, was completely destroyed on June 6, 1944 (WWII). In 1968, Maison Beuchet-Debierre built a neoclassical instrument, revised and redesigned by Alfred Kern in 1987.Not of woodwork but with sideboard arranged in two bodies with positive back , and a window console.

The city of Saint Lô on its heritage : https://www.saint-lo.fr/decouvrir-bouger/decouvrir-la-ville/patrimoine

The Saint Lô  tourist office on the Church Notre Dame:https://saintlo-tourisme.com/annuaire-du-patrimoine/eglise-notre-dame

The Norman experiences site shows the ruins of the Notre Dame Church in 1944 :https://www.memoirenormande.fr/medias-eglise-notre-dame-de-saint-lo-en-ruine-614-2631-258-0.html

There you go folks, it is an impressive church considering it was almost all destroyed in WWII and then rebuilt with care. Indeed a symbol of a City of Saint Lô  A must to visit stop by the Church of Notre Dame. Again, hope you enjoy it as I,

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I dare took the plunge to really visit Lisieux instead of just passing by. As said, my belle France has an endless repertoire of monuments that a life time will not be enough. Let me tell you more on the Saint Peter’s Cathedral of Lisieux, in the dept 14 of Calvados, region of Normandie, in my belle France. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

As usual I have written before and plenty of text and pictures, This post will be shorter to just add to my blog older pictures not yet on my blog and they should , me think,

The Cathédrale Saint-Pierre is in the Norman Gothic style. For a while it was the mother church of the diocese of Lisieux before its integration into the diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux. Sainte Thérèse was very familiar with the St Peter Cathedral. It was there that she attended Sunday mass with her father, sisters and housekeeper. A statue and an inscription in a chapel in the Choir recall the exact place where the family was placed during religious services. It was here that the future Saint had the revelation of her mission: to save the souls of sinners. Thérèse’s father, Louis Martin, offered the high altar for the choir. Since the 20C, Sainte Thérèse has been the cathedral’s third patron saint, after Peter and Paul. As such, it appears on one of the stained-glass windows at the back of the choir.

In the middle of the 11C, the Romanesque cathedral was in poor condition. It was decided to rebuilt one on the foundations of the old one. The site was launched in 1150 by the bishop of Lisieux called Arnoult. Close to the kings of France and England, this prelate involved builders familiar with the new techniques of Île-de-France region. The master mason, ancestor of the architect, introduced flying buttresses to support the vaults for the first time in Normandy. The facade of Saint-Pierre Cathedral is the most recent part of the building. Completed in 1250, it is a so-called harmonic facade: the three portals let us guess the interior division of the church with its central nave and its aisles.

The Bishop Pierre Cauchon, known for having been the inquisitor of Joan of Arc’s trial and having condemned her to the stake in 1431, became bishop of Lisieux from 1432 to 1442. During this period, he had the axial chapel of the cathedral to place his tomb there. The tomb is now gone but his body still lies under the paving. This Chapel of the Virgin is a very fine example of flamboyant Gothic architecture. The arms of the chapter and of Pierre Cauchon appear on the keystones.

The city of Lisieux  on its heritage:https://www.ville-lisieux.fr/fr/x79-Lieux-emblematiques.html

The official Sanctuary of Lisieux : https://www.therese-de-lisieux.catholique.fr/en/decouvrir-le-sanctuaire/la-basilique/

The friends of the Cathedral of St Peter of Lisieux :https://www.amis-cathedrale-lisieux.fr/FR/

There you go folks, another masterpiece of architecture and history in nice Lisieux. You should not missed this Cathedral Saint Peter and you will be glad. Again, hope  you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I dare come to Lisieux as was not far and after many passing by , really needed to go into town, It was a wonderful experience to actually see something you have heard all your life, Let me tell you more on the wonderful story of Basilica of Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

As usual I have written before and plenty of text and pictures, This post will be shorter to just add to my blog older pictures not yet on my blog and they should , me think.

The Sainte-Thérèse Basilica is located in Lisieux, in Calvados dept 14 of Normandie. It was brought up in honor of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus shortly after her canonization. An imposing neo-Byzantine style basilica inspired by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, its construction, on a height at the edge of the city, began in 1929 and its consecration took place in 1954. The city of Lisieux being the second place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes.

Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux was beatified on April 29, 1923 and canonized on May 17, 1925 while four of her sisters, all nuns, were still alive. Devotion to the new saint, already manifested by the poilus or hairy (as the young French men were called) during the Great War or WWI, gained momentum from the year following her canonization. Faced with the growing number of pilgrims, it seems necessary to build a large basilica dedicated to pilgrimage in the city where she lived and where she died. Work began on September 30, 1929, the first stone being laid by Cardinal Charost, papal legate. The crypt was inaugurated in 1932. The basilica was solemnly blessed on July 11, 1937 at the end of the 11th National Eucharistic Congress by Cardinal Pacelli , papal legate and future Pius XII. On July 11, 1939, the monolithic cross was installed at the top of the dome. Work continued in slow motion between 1939 and 1944 because of WWII. The basic structure, which was completed before the war, suffered little damage during the bombings of June 1944 which destroyed two-thirds of Lisieux. It was probably spared thanks to its position on the edge of the town. After the war, the damage done to the basilica was repaired. The basilica was consecrated on July 11, 1954 by the Archbishop of Rouen and Primate of Normandy, Mgr Martin in the presence of the papal legate, the Archbishop of Paris Mgr Feltin.  Since 2008, the basilica’s crypt has held the reliquary of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Sainte Thérèse.

Saint Therese Basilica  is one of the largest religious buildings built in the 20C. It was consecrated on July 11, 1954. The crypt with three naves and the dome, 93 meters high, are exceptional . If and you should Like Pope John Paul II, who came on pilgrimage to Lisieux on June 2, 1980, follow in the footsteps of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and her parents Louis and Zélie Martin, canonized in 2015. The pedestrian route “In the footsteps of Saint Thérèse”, materialized on the ground by a blue line, invites you to discover the main places linked to the Saint.

The Saint Therese Basilica of Lisieux differs from other votive churches: here, the faithful do not stroll around the relics. There is a gigantic nave that can accommodate 4,000 people seated. The impression of grandeur due to this unique volume accentuates the already large dimensions: 37 meters under the vault and 50 meters under the dome. The walls of the Upper Basilica and the crypt are decorated with mosaics that reflect the message of Saint Therese. A veritable cocktail of colors and shapes. The stained glass windows favor a blue atmosphere which creates an atmosphere of intimacy and calm.

Therese of Lisieux is one of the patron saints of the missions, not because she ever went anywhere, but because of her special love of the missions, and the prayers and letters she gave in support of missionaries.

The official Sanctuary of Lisieux : https://www.therese-de-lisieux.catholique.fr/en/decouvrir-le-sanctuaire/la-basilique/

The city of Lisieux  on its heritage: https://www.ville-lisieux.fr/fr/x79-Lieux-emblematiques.html

There you go folks, another wonderful huge monument of my belle France. It is a must to visit as the grandeur of the place alone will take you back! It is a huge, wonderful experience as a second baptism! The Basilica of Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux !!! Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!