Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The basilica Notre-Dame-des-Enfants de Châteauneuf-sur-Cher has its origin in the initiative of Abbé Jacques-Marie Ducros, appointed parish priest in 1861. Discovering a church in ruins, he launched a subscription with the children, asking them "two dollars" in exchange for prayers to the Virgin Mary. This campaign, marked by touching letters like that of a girl from Semur-en-Brionnais, inspires the name of the sanctuary: Our Lady of Children. In 1866, the brotherhood of the same name was founded, and then erected as an arch-conferrery by Pope Pius IX in 1870.

The first stone was laid on 29 August 1869 under the blessing of the Archbishop of Bourges, Charles-Amable of La Tour d'Auvergne-Lauraguais. The plans were designed by two architects: Édouard Marganne (foundations) and M. Auclair (elevation), while Brother Hariolf led the works. The major work was completed in 1879, followed by interior design in 1886. The Gothic-style basilica is 80 metres long and 21 metres under the vault, with a nave lined with slender columns.

In 1896, Pope Leo XIII raised the sanctuary to the rank of basilica, which was consecrated on April 24, 1898. His history is marked by major artistic contributions: sculptures by Caussé, stained glass windows of the Lobin workshop, organ of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1889), and a statuary dedicated to childhood (Vincent of Paul, Thérèse d'Avila, etc.). The basilica, listed as a historical monument in 1983, also houses a Sulpician crèche of 1887 and a cross road of Vaucouleurs.

The Notre-Dame-des-Enfants chapel, at bedside, illustrates Marian devotion by bas-reliefs representing the Virgin surrounded by children. The funding has benefited from donations, including those of the family of Maillé, owners of the local castle. Four plaques commemorate the key steps: the laying of the first stone, the blessing of the statue in 1869, and its coronation in 1923 by Pius XI.

The annual pilgrimage, in May, attracts the faithful around this basilica that is always open to worship. Accessible to people with reduced mobility, it preserves 2,000 ex-votos and a rich liturgical heritage, such as the chair of the Buisine-Rigot workshops or the choir stalls. His organ, classified in 1976, was restored between 1979 and 1980.

The basilica embodies both a neo-Gothic architectural heritage and a popular spirituality, born of the generosity of children. Its history also reflects the influence of 19th-century religious networks, between Marian devotion, Catholic education (via the School of Brothers) and local patronage, such as that of the Maillés or the sacred art workshops of the period.

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