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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-des-Trois-Épis chapel is a Gothic building built between the 4th quarter of the 15th century and the 1st quarter of the 16th century, on the territory of Ammerschwihr (High Rhine, Great East). It is part of a larger architectural complex, the Notre-Dame-des-Trois-Épis shrine, which has included since 1968 the Church of Notre-Dame-de-l-Annunciation and a community of redemptorists. Its origin dates back to a Marian apparition on May 3, 1491: the Virgin appeared at blacksmith Thierry Schoeré, holding three ears (symbol of abundance) and an ice cube (threat of punishment). A temporary wooden chapel, erected on the site of the apparition, was replaced in 1493 by the present church, consecrated in 1495. The Gothic-style building is distinguished by its five-sided bedside, its arched sacristy and a bulb bell tower added in the 17th to 18th centuries.

The history of the site is marked by its role as a pilgrimage and the transformations related to its religious occupation. As early as the 16th century, the site included a church, a hermit house and an inn. After a fire in 1636, the church was restored from 1640, but the vault of the choir, collapsed, was not rebuilt. A priory was founded in 1651 by Canon Pierre Dulys, successively occupied by Cistercians (1655), Antonines (1661), Knights of Malta (1775) and Capuchins (1779). The current convent building, built in 1731 for the antonins, extends the nave westward. Closed in 1791 during the Revolution, the church was bought in 1797 by residents of Ammerschwihr to avoid its destruction, and the pilgrimage returned in 1804.

In the 19th century, the site was served by various communities (Liguorians, diocesan priests, Precious Sang Fathers, Redemptorists). In 1891–93, work changed the interior: the wooden vault of the choir and the ceiling of the nave were installed, while the Gothic triumphal arch was replaced by a low arch. The furniture was renewed by Weyh de Colmar. During World War I, the convent served as a military hospital. In the 20th century, the building was raised (1929, 1940) and damaged by fire in 1952, resulting in partial reconstruction. The church, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1988, was restored in 1990–1991. Today, it remains a place of Alsatian devotion and architectural heritage.

The building has notable Gothic features: a ceiling nave, a choir with a cut strip with a false wooden dogive vault, and a western door with intertwined mouldings. The sacristy, vaulted by two d'ogives crossed with keys decorated with stars, is the most preserved part. The campanile on the roof and the interior transformations (XVIIth–XVIIIth centuries) testify to its evolution. Outside, the five-sided bedside and broken arch openings recall its medieval origin. The site, owned by the commune, is still active as a place of pilgrimage and religious life, associated with the legend of the Marian apparition of 1491.

The Three Episcopal Shrine is part of an Alsatian religious landscape marked by Marian pilgrimages. Its history reflects the political and religious upheavals of the region, from the Reformation to the French Revolution, to the 17th century wars. The preservation of the site, despite the fires and community changes, illustrates its importance for the inhabitants of Ammerschwihr and the faithful. Today, it combines historical heritage, Marian devotion and Gothic architecture, while bearing the traces of successive adaptations related to its convenual and hospitable use.

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