Basilica of Our Lady of Alençon (Basilique Notre-Dame d'Alençon)
About Basilica of Our Lady of Alençon (Basilique Notre-Dame d'Alençon)
This Gothic church in the heart of Alençon dates back to 1356 when Count Charles III of Alençon began its construction during the Hundred Years' War. The building took over a century to complete, with work interrupted by the English occupation (1417-1449) and resuming around 1470. Master mason Jehan Lemoyne added the remarkable flamboyant Gothic porch between 1500-1517, considered one of the finest in Normandy with its intricate stone lacework and seven-figure Transfiguration scene. The nave features five bays rising 20 meters high with elaborate ribbed vaulting. Following a fire in 1744, architect Jean-Rodolphe Perronet rebuilt the choir and transept in a contrasting classical style. The basilica holds special significance as the place where Louis and Zélie Martin married in 1858 and where their daughter, the future Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, was baptized in 1873. Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to minor basilica status in 2009 following the Martins' beatification. Visitors can see Thérèse's baptismal robe in a dedicated chapel alongside a 1930 stained glass window by Barillet depicting her baptism.
Interesting Facts
Louis and Zélie Martin were canonized together on October 18, 2015, by Pope Francis, making them the first married couple in Catholic Church history to be canonized as a pair. Their union produced nine children, though only five daughters survived to adulthood, including Thérèse who became one of the most widely read spiritual writers of the 20th century.
The flamboyant Gothic porch was designed in a trapezoidal shape inspired by the famous Saint-Maclou church in Rouen. Master mason Jehan Lemoyne's intricate stonework took 17 years to complete (1500-1517) and features voussures decorated with sibyls, prophets holding phylacteries, and angels — though Protestant iconoclasts damaged many of the original sculptures during religious conflicts in 1562 and 1568.
On one of the nave's capitals, visitors can spot a mysterious carved hand gripping a slingshot — its meaning remains unknown to historians. The capitals throughout the nave also feature hawthorn leaves and grotesque masks, while busts of male figures at the vault springlines may represent the anonymous master masons who built the church.
Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Location & Practical Info
Address
51 Grande Rue, 61000 Alençon, France
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