Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Notre-Dame de Montligeon Basilica, located in La Chapelle-Montligeon, Orne, is a neo-Gothic building built between 1894 and 1911 by Abbé Paul Buguet. The latter, parish priest of the village from 1878 to 1918, founded in 1884 the "Expiatory work for the deliverance of souls from purgatory", a spiritual and social initiative aimed at revitalizing the region while promoting prayer for the deceased. Encouraged by Pope Leo XIII, he obtained the title of apostolic protonotary and developed an internationally recognized archconfraternity.

The construction of the basilica, entrusted to architect Tessier, began in 1894 and ended in 1911, with an official consecration in 1928 by Pope Pius XI, who granted him the title of minor basilica. The neo-Gothic building is distinguished by its exceptional stained glass windows, made between 1917 and 1971, which illustrate exclusively eschatological themes and the communion of saints. These stained glass windows, as well as mosaics and statues, make it a major place of pilgrimage, attracting faithful from all over the world.

Abbé Buguet, the central figure of this project, closely links the spiritual dimension to an economic will, creating local workshops (dentelle, glovery) to offer work to parishioners. Despite the difficult beginnings, his work is on an international scale, with a secretariat based in Rome and daily Masses celebrated in honour of the deceased. The basilica, surrounded by a sanctuary with welcoming buildings and gardens, remains today a place of prayer and meditation, managed by the Sisters of the New Covenant.

The stained glass windows of the basilica, made by glass masters like Louis Barillet, cover four levels and tell episodes of the life of the saints, Christ and the Virgin, while addressing themes such as purgatory and last judgment. The western rose, installed in 1947, represents the tree of Jesse, while the large windows of the transepts evoke Redemption and communion of the saints. These works, combining art and religious pedagogy, reinforce the unique character of the place.

The basilica is also marked by symbolic events, such as the solemn coronation of the statue of Our Lady Libératrice in 1935, or visits by religious dignitaries, including the future Pope Pius XII in 1937. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1978, it has been the subject of an ambitious restoration campaign since 2016, financed by donations and bequests, in order to preserve its artistic and architectural heritage.

Today, the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Montligeon remains an active spiritual centre, offering annual pilgrimages (November, Ascension, Assumption) and plenary indulgences for the faithful. His history, intimately linked to that of Abbé Buguet and his expiatory work, makes him a remarkable witness to Catholic devotion and sacred art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

External links