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Origin and history

The Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the Grand Est region, is a flamboyant Gothic building erected between 1481 and 1560. It was commanded by René II, Duke of Lorraine, to celebrate his victory against Charles the Témeraire at the Battle of Nancy in 1477, marking the preservation of Lorrain independence. This monument also symbolizes devotion to Saint Nicholas, including a phalange stolen from Bari in the 11th century by a Lorrain knight, Aubert de Varangéville, attracted pilgrims from the Middle Ages.

The site became a place of major pilgrimage after the miracle attributed to Saint Nicholas in 1240: the miraculous liberation of the knight Cunon de Linange, imprisoned during the sixth crusade, whose chains, preserved in a reliquary, fell during his prayer in front of the church. In the 15th century, René II chose Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, then economic center of the duchy, to build a monumental basilica, financed by the Dukes, merchants and pilgrims. The stained glass windows, frescoes and donors (such as the city of Strasbourg or the bishop of Verdun) bear witness to his European influence.

The construction, led by architect Michel and master glassmaker Valentin Bousch, spanned 60 years with a rare stylistic homogeneity. The building, inaugurated in 1544, suffered a fire in 1635 during the Thirty Years War, destroying roof and stained glass, but revealing medieval murals under a badigeon. Local legends, like that of the pillar "who weeps" before wars, enriched his mystery. Restored in the 17th century then after 1940 thanks to an American legacy, the basilica was classified as a historic monument in 1840.

His treasure, made up of royal and ducal gifts (such as the silver nave of Louis IX or the reliquary arm of René II), was partially melted during the wars and the Revolution. In the 19th century, pieces were saved by parishioners, including a 17th-century reliquary bust and an 18th-century montrance. The current organ, rebuilt in 1994 with 3,673 pipes, and the 18 bells (including a 5 tonne bumblebee) underline its musical and liturgical role.

The architecture combines champenoise influences (passage at the base of the windows) and lorraine (absence of a walk). Its peculiarities include a twisted column masking a defect of verticality, a axis deflected 6 degrees to adapt to the terrain, and six commercial lodges under the northern chapels. The basilica, consecrated minor in 1950, remains a Lorrain identity symbol, linked to figures such as John of Joinville or Blessed Barbe Acarie, who had a vision of Saint Teresa of Avila in 1602.

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