Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The basilica Notre-Dame de Buglose has its origin in a statue of the Virgin, carved between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. From its creation it attracted intense devotion, but during the Wars of Religion (1570), the statue was hidden in a swamp to escape looting. Forgotten for fifty years, it was rediscovered in 1620 by a peasant whose oxen reveal its presence by licking a rock. Considered a miracle, this event resulted in the construction of a temporary chapel on site and then a larger sanctuary.

In 1622, a first chapel was inaugurated by the bishop of Dax, marking the beginning of a flourishing pilgrimage. In the 19th century, faced with the influx of faithful, the current building was built between 1850 and 1865. The statue was solemnly crowned in 1866 by the bishop of Aire, Louis-Marie Epivent, under the authority of Pope Pius IX. One hundred years later, in 1965, the basilica was consecrated, and in 1966, Pope Paul VI granted it the title of minor basilica during the centenary celebrations of the coronation.

The Carillon de Buglose, installed between 1894 and 1926, is a major achievement of Bishop Victor Delannoy, nostalgic of Flemish carillons. Composed of 60 bells operated by a carillonner machine invented by Canon Maisonnave, it is still operating today. The basilica also houses stained glass windows narrating the history of the pilgrimage, a 17th century pulpit, and the original statue of Our Lady, 1.08 metres high and weighing 400 kg, symbol of Marian devotion in the Landes.

The early chapel, called miracles, is now integrated into the modern building. Two bishops, Louis-Marie Epivent and Victor Delannoy, were buried there, testifying to the historic importance of the site. The basilica remains a high place of pilgrimage, attracting faithful for four centuries, especially for its miracles attributed to the Virgin, such as the healing of the Queen of Spain Marie-Anne of Neubourg in 1709.

The architecture combines neo-Gothic elements and historical chapels, including the Rosary, decorated with an 18th-century wooden altar. The statue of Our Lady, with inscriptions Magnificat and Salve Regina, embodies an ancient Marian cult, perhaps inherited from a Virgin in the older Majesty. His artist, anonymous, left as signature only Great artist and Great Christian.

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