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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de Bonsecours Basilica, located in Bonsecours near Rouen, is a neo-Gothic building built in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century (1840–44) by architect Jacques-Eugène Barthélémy. It succeeds two earlier buildings: a medieval chapel (1034) and a parish church destroyed in 1473 and rebuilt. Father Charles Victor Godefroy, parish priest of Blosville (now Bonsecours in 1959), launched his construction to replace the old church, ruined by the Revolution. The first stone was laid on 4 May 1840 by the Archbishop of Rouen, and the blessing took place in October 1844. The basilica is the first example of a neo-Gothic style in France.

The sanctuary is linked to a Marian pilgrimage dating back to the Middle Ages, whose history is engraved on a marble plaque in the porch. Among the preserved relics are a statue of Notre-Dame de Bonsecours (polychrome wood, 16th century) and 13th century stalls. Pope Pius IX granted the privilege of coronation in 1870, celebrated in 1880 by the Cardinal of Good Thing. The basilica is listed as a historical monument in 2004 and houses major works, such as the stained glass windows of the Gsell glassworks (1844) and an organ of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1857).

The building is distinguished by its architecture: nave with seven spans without transept, arrow overlooking the western facade, and fully painted interiors, inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle. The furniture includes a neogothic high altar by Victor Fulconis, a iron gate forged by Pierre Boulanger (author of the pentures of Notre-Dame de Paris), and a pulpit decorated with statues of the Fathers of the Church. Nearby, a monument dedicated to Jeanne d'Arc (1892) and the cemetery housing the tombs of the poet José-Maria de Heredia and Father Jacques Hamel complete the whole.

The site remains an active place of worship, the only building in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, attached to the Archdiocese of Rouen. It still hosts pilgrims and celebrations, such as the centenary of the coronation in 1980. Recent restorations (2001) have involved large organs, arrow and carillon. The basilica also has a ringing of six bells, including the bell "Leon" (6 tons, melted in 1892), installed in an external belfry due to its weight.

The pilgrimage of Notre-Dame de Bonsecours is the only one in Seine-Maritime. It attracts faithful and visitors for its medieval history, artistic heritage and stunning views of Rouen. Father Godefroy, initiator of the basilica, inspired the Sainte-Chapelle for its interior decoration, while architect Barthélémy, prolific in the region, applied the principles of the nascent neogothic. The site, owned by the commune, is open to visit and remains a symbol of Norman piety.

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