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Origin and history

The basilica Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, located in the Place des Petits-Pères in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, was built between 1629 and 1740 under the impulse of the Augustins unshoeed. Its origin dates back to the vow of Louis XIII in 1614, promising a church to the Virgin in case of victory against the Protestants during the siege of La Rochelle (1628). Although this legend is contested by historian Louis Blond, the letters patent evoke a foundation sought by the Augustine religious who settled near the Montmartre gate. The works, led successively by Pierre Le Muet, Liberal Bruant, Gabriel Le Duc and Jean-Sylvain Cartaud, were interrupted by financial difficulties before reaching a solemn consecration in 1740.

During the Revolution, the basilica lost its religious vocation: transformed into the headquarters of the National Lottery and then into a stock exchange under the Executive Board, it was returned to worship in 1802. In 1836, Abbé Desgenettes devoted the parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, giving birth to the Archiconfrerie of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope Pius IX ran the statue of the Virgin in 1853, thanking the French troops for the liberation of Rome in 1849. Conventual buildings, destroyed in 1844 during the excavation of streets, left room for a basilica rich in ex-voto (more than 37,000) and works of art, including seven monumental canvases by Carle Van Loo.

Ranked minor basilica in 1927 and historic monument in 1972, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is distinguished by its hybrid architecture, marked by the succession of its architects. His organ, whose 18th-century buffet is classified, and its 19th-century stained glass windows — financed by patrons such as the Duke of Doudeauville — illustrate his artistic influence. The basilica remains a Marian pilgrimage site, linked to figures like Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, whose parents (Louis and Zélie Martin) have a chapel dedicated to it since 2012. Today, she is animated by Benedictines of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre and Father Antoine d.

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