Basilica Holy-Therese de Lisieux

Holy Therese of Lisieux having been béatifiée in 1923 and canonized in 1925, it was decided to build large a Basilique dedicated to the pilgrimage in the city where she had lived and where she had died. Indeed, the devotion with the holy news attracted increasingly important crowd quickly.

This project, launched by the bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, Mgr Lemonnier, accepted the total support of the pope Pie XI which had placed its pontificate under the sign of Holy-Therese.

Preceded by a vast square, the monument is on a hill, in limit of the city which it dominates of its imposing mass. It was entirely financed by gifts and specific subscriptions come from the whole world.

Work was begun on September 30th 1929. They were supervised by three architects of wire father, the Shoe-maker - Louis-Marie, then her son Louis-Stanislas and his Louis grandson. The monument will be finished only on July 11th, 1954 because of the second world war. The composite style (known as romano-Byzantine) is strongly inspired by that of the basilica of the Sacred Heart to Paris. The basilica was devoted in 1937, in the presence of the Pacelli cardinal, papal legate and future Pie XII.

By its dimensions, the building, built out of reinforced concrete and granite, is compared with the largest cathedrals:

  • length: 104 m;
  • width of the transept 50 m;
  • width of the nave 30 m;
  • height of the dome 95 m;
  • height of the cupola 50 m;
  • the cross overcoming the unit measures 1,70 m;
  • height of the vaults 37 m;
  • surface 4.500 m ².

It is one of the largest churches built at the 20th century; it can contain 4000 people. The structure was finished before the war, undergoes little damage during the bombardments which destroyed Lisieux to two thirds; it probably had to be saved by its position in limit of agglomeration. Decoration was undertaken in the years 1950.

The building is in the shape of Latin cross, with nave, chorus and transept. Crossing is overcome by an imposing cupola. Interior volume is of only one holding, without side aisles nor déambulatoire: because of absence of columns, all the faithful ones which attend the offices can see without being constrained.

The sculptures are of Robert Coin, the drawings of the mosaics and stained glasses of Pierre Gaudin, the Orgue S of the house Cavaillé-coll (54 plays).

The building contains 18 minor furnace bridges offered by various nations in Sainte Therese ex-voto. Starting from the entry, in the opposite direction of the needles of a watch:

There is also an underground crypt, long 50 m and broad of 30 Mr. It is decorated with marble and mosaics representing certain important scenes of the life of holy Therese: baptism, first communion, miraculous cure, engagement in the religious life, death.

The bell-tower is separated from the building principal and located on the square. It completely finished forever, priority having been given to charitable organizations. It contains 51 bells, 6 of flown and 45 for the Carillon (all chromatics). Concerts of chime are given twice a day.

Outside, behind the church is a monumental Chemin of cross where currently the tombs of his/her parents are.

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