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Origin and history

The Basilica Notre-Dame de Marceille, located in Limoux, is a southern Gothic building built mainly in the 14th and 15th centuries, with subsequent modifications. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and houses a wooden statue of Black Virgin dated the 11th or 12th century, object of a local pilgrimage known for its miraculous virtues, including the healing of eyeaches thanks to a nearby source. The church, cited in 1011 and confirmed in 1137, was rebuilt in the 14th century under the influence of the college of Narbonne in Paris, which received its income.

The legend tells that the statue of the Virgin was discovered by oxen, miraculously returning to her original location after being moved. This place then became a sanctuary, attracting pilgrims until the 17th century, where hermits welcomed them. In 1674, the Doctrinaries took charge of the site, transforming the church and installing a seminary there. The basilica, raised to this rank in 1905, was vaulted in 1783 and its bell tower rebuilt in 1885.

The architecture of the basilica is distinguished by its unique nave of five spans, its tripartite bedside, and a 15th century Gothic porch surmounted by a Virgin with the Child mutilated during the Revolution. The site also includes a well closed in 1843 and a miraculous spring located 30 metres from the chapel. In 2007, the Black Virgin was the victim of a robbery and degradation, losing her head and coat.

Ranked a historic monument in 1948 and a natural site in 1943, the basilica retains remarkable elements such as an 18th-century high altar, 17th and 18th-century paintings, and an organ installed in 1855. His history was marked by restorations, including those of Bishop François-Alexandre Roullet de La Bouillerie, who launched pilgrimages in the 19th century.

Archaeological excavations revealed an ancient occupation of the site, with tools of the Middle Paleolithic, a Neolithic oven, and Gallo-Roman remains. These discoveries suggest continued occupation for millennia, reinforcing the historical and spiritual importance of the site.

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