Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Lyon

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière overlooks Lyon from the summit of Fourvière hill in the Rhône department. Begun in 1872 and consecrated in 1896, it has become one of the city's emblems, earning Lyon its nickname of the "Marian city". Some two million pilgrims and visitors climb to it every year.

A hill dedicated to the Virgin

The cult is far older than the basilica. In 1168, a chapel was built here on the ruins of the Roman forum, first dedicated to Saint Thomas, then to the Virgin. In 1642, as the plague repeatedly struck Lyon, the aldermen vowed to process up to Fourvière; the following year they consecrated the whole city to Mary and set an annual pilgrimage for 8 September. In 1852, a gilded statue of the Virgin, 5,60 metres tall, was installed on the chapel's belfry. Its inauguration, postponed to 8 December, saw Lyonnais place candles in their windows: the origin of the Festival of Lights. After the 1870 war, it was decided to build a great sanctuary, to welcome ever more visitors and to thank the Virgin for protecting the city.

Two churches, one on top of the other

The architect Pierre Bossan designed a neo-Byzantine building flanked by four corner towers of 48 metres, which his critics nicknamed the "upturned elephant". Ill health kept him at a distance from the site, and he entrusted much of the work to Louis Sainte-Marie Perrin. Fourvière consists of two churches, one above the other. The lower church, wrongly called a crypt, is dedicated to Saint Joseph. Bossan intended the pilgrim to move from its relative gloom into the light of the upper church, whose mosaics tell of Mary's place in the history of France and of the Church. A statue of the Archangel Michael, placed at 1885, crowns the apse.

Getting up to Fourvière

The Fourvière funicular stops directly opposite the main porch. The site also includes the former Saint-Thomas chapel, the panoramic esplanade and the Rosary garden. Since 1998, the basilica has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, as part of the historic site of Lyon, and has been listed as a historic monument since 2014.

An energy site above the city

Seeing Fourvière listed among the great energy sites may come as a surprise for such a busy sanctuary. The contrast between the bustle of the city below and the calm of the lower church, or the Marian devotion recorded on this hill since the Middle Ages, may account for part of it. Have you been? Tell us whether the lower church or the esplanade affected you most.