Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Grâces shrine of Cotignac originated in the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a peasant, Jean de La Baume, on August 10 and 11, 1519. The Virgin would have asked her to build a church there and to attract pilgrims there. Work began on 14 September 1519, and in 1521 Pope Leo X granted indulgences to the sanctuary. This site, initially modest, is gaining importance thanks to the intervention of Brother Fiacre, an august undressed, who prays there for the birth of an heir to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria.

In 1637, after a novena led by Brother Fiacre, Queen Anne of Austria gave birth to Louis XIV, an event interpreted as a miracle attributed to Our Lady of Grace. This episode strengthened the link between the sanctuary and the monarchy, leading to the official visit of Louis XIV and his mother in 1660. The king laid offerings there, including a commemorative plaque in black marble, and consecrated France to the Virgin Mary in 1638. The sanctuary then becomes a place of national devotion, especially for pregnant women and couples looking for children.

The French Revolution marked a tragic turning point: in 1793, revolutionaries looted and destroyed the sanctuary, turning the church into a prison before razing it in 1796. The sacred objects, like the painting offered by Anne of Austria, are destroyed, but some elements, including the statue of the Virgin, are saved by locals. In 1810, the church was rebuilt thanks to the local initiative, and the place was entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who carried out major improvements there.

In the 19th century, the sanctuary returned to its vocation of pilgrimage, attracting faithful for family graces. In 1938, the statue of Our Lady of Grace was crowned canonically. In 1981 the management of the place was transferred to the Saint John Community, which organized retreats and thematic pilgrimages. Today, with 140,000 annual visitors, it remains the first site of the Var, celebrating its 500th anniversary in 2019.

The present church, rebuilt in 1810, preserves historical elements such as the engraved stone offered by Louis XIV and the 16th century painting behind the altar. The sanctuary also includes hermitages for pilgrims, a swimming pool, and a pilgrimage path leading to the Saint-Joseph du Bessillon shrine, located 3 km away. Ex-votos and processions still bear witness to its spiritual vitality and its anchor in French religious history.

External links