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Origin and history

The Basilica of Our Lady of Sion, erected as a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI, is a Catholic building located on the hill of Sion-Vaudémont, in the municipality of Saxon-Sion (Meurthe-et-Moselle). This Marian shrine, anchored in the history of the Duchy of Lorraine, succeeds a pagan Roman and later Celtic place of worship. The Dukes of Lorraine made pilgrimages there, reinforcing its status as a religious and identity symbol.

The architecture of the basilica combines several periods: an apse of the 15th century, an 18th century nave, and a 45-metre tower built in the 19th century by architects François Lamorre and Léon Vautrin. Among its outstanding elements are the choir grid, made by the workshops of Jean Lamour, and a 14th century Virgin from Vaudémont. The tower is crowned with a monumental statue of the Immaculate Conception (7 meters), melted in Tusey (Meuse) in the mid-19th century.

The bell tower, a geodetic point for IGN, was hit by a fire in 2003, destroying the four bells but sparing the nave. The statue was restored and replaced in 2007, accompanied by new holy bells that same day. The fire accelerated the protection of the building, inscribed in the historic monuments at the end of 2003, including the roofs of the former neighbouring convent.

The basilica commemorates Franco-German conflicts through four commemorative plaques (1873, 1920, 1946, 1973). They evoke annexation and then restitution of Alsace-Moselle, with inscriptions in Lorrain like "Ce nato me po tojo" ("It wasn't forever"). These ceremonies, often presided over by Lorrain bishops (Dupont des Loges, Jean-Baptiste Pelt) or political figures (Maurice Barrès), sealed his role as a symbol of resistance and reconciliation.

In 1973, a "Monument of Peace" was inaugurated in the presence of German, Belgian and Luxembourg delegations, marking a turning point towards European reconciliation. The sanctuary remains a major place of pilgrimage, celebrated for its history linked to the Virgin Mary and the Lorrain identity.

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