Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of Pity has its origin in a Marian cult born after the discovery of a statue by a plower. A modest chapel was first built, then enlarged over the centuries. The pilgrimage, relaunched in the 19th century, motivated the construction of a large building: the bell tower, designed by Octave de Rochebrune, was started in 1856. Between 1865 and 1872, a calvary with inner chapel and seven fountains was erected, marking a key step in the expansion of the sanctuary.

The plans of the current basilica were designed by architect Alcide Boutaud, with a staggering construction site from 1891 to 1929. Only the bell tower of the old chapel was preserved, integrated into the new building. The basilica adopts a non-oriented Latin cross plan, with an angeline vaulted nave, a transept leading to sacristy and confessionals, and a choir with a walk-in adorned with five radiant chapels. A bell tower, flanked by two stair turrets, marks the south entrance.

The glass windows of the transept and the windows of the lower side celebrate the great French shrines. Together, including the church, the square, the calvary and the fountain, was inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2008. The construction was completed under the direction of Albert Boutaud, son of Alcide, thus perpetuating a line of architects linked to this place of Marian devotion.

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