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Origin and history

Saint-Michel-des-Lions Basilica, located in Limoges, New Aquitaine, is a Gothic building built between the 14th and 16th centuries. It owes its name to the four statues of lions of Galloroma, probably ancient funeral monuments, placed at its entrance and around. These lions, as protective symbols, marked the identity of the place from its Christian origin, despite the movement of the cemetery for health reasons. The present church is the result of several reconstructions after devastating fires in 1123 and 1147, then a collapse in the 14th century, requiring the laying of a new first stone in 1364.

In 1552, expansion works added a remarkable western span for its windows, while the bell tower, typical of the Limousin style, underwent modifications in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A major event occurred in 1810: lightning damaged the bell tower, and a soldier proposed to add a 600 kg metal ball for geodetic reasons. This element, controversial between the "bulophiles" and the "bulophobes", becomes a local symbol, inspiring even the name of a hotel (the Hotel de la Boule d'Or). The present, openwork and copper ball dates back to the post-First World War.

Ranked a historical monument in 1909, the church was erected as a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2023, becoming the only one in the Limousin and 175th in France. It houses rich furniture and prestigious relics, including the skull of Saint Martial, transferred in 1790 from the eponymous abbey. These relics, venerated by local brotherhoods, are at the heart of limo ostensions, a major seven-year tradition. The cult of Saint Loup, bishop of Limoges in the 7th century, and that of Saint Valerie are also honored, strengthening his spiritual and heritage role.

The bell tower, with its 1824 ball and girouette, illustrates the successive adaptations of the building, between medieval heritage and modern interventions. The debates about its restoration reflect the attachment of the Limougeauds to this monument, mixing history, symbols and local identity. Today, the basilica remains a place of pilgrimage and memory, bearing witness to the cultural and architectural continuity of the region since ancient times.

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