Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame d'Étang chapel, located on the mountain of Etang near Velars-sur-Ouche in the Gold Coast, is linked to a miraculous statuette of the Virgin with the Child, discovered in 1435 by pastres. This painted stone statuette, dating from the 11th or 12th century, would have been hidden at the end of the 14th century before being found thanks to an ox grazing a persistent grass. From its discovery, it was associated with miracles, such as the healing of a blind child, and became the object of a major Marian pilgrimage, attracting figures such as Philip the Hardi in 1372 or Louis XIV in 1674.

Over the centuries, the statuette was moved between Mount Etang and the church of Saint-Blaise in Velars-sur-Ouche, where it has been preserved since 1791. The pilgrimage, marked by annual processions on 2 July and 8 September, grew in the 19th century, motivating the construction of an imposing monument between 1877 and 1896. The latter, financed by subscription, includes an octagonal chapel surmounted by a statue of the Virgin of 8 meters, melted by Louis Gasne. The statue, originally planned in copper, was made of gold cast iron for economic reasons.

The monument, classified in 1996, symbolizes both Marian devotion and 19th-century religious architecture. Its major restoration (2013-2020), costing 2.8 million euros, preserved the statue and structure, supported by the state, the commune and private donations. The site remains a place of pilgrimage, although less frequented than before, with annual celebrations perpetuating a tradition of six centuries old.

The original statuette, exhibited in the abside of the church of Saint-Blaise, is always venerated during Marian holidays. Its history, mixing legends (like the foundation of the order of the Visitation inspired by Saint Francis of Sales and Saint Jeanne of Chantal) and historical facts (protection of Dijon in 1636), illustrates the cultural and spiritual importance of Our Lady of Etang in Burgundy. The present monument, with its four altars dedicated to local saints, perpetuates this religious and artistic heritage.

The pilgrimage, once gathering up to 25,000 faithful (as in 1912 for the crowning of the statue), saw its influx decline in the twentieth century. Today, it still attracts hundreds of visitors, testifying to a persistent devotion. The confraternity of Notre-Dame d'Etang, founded in the 17th century and reactivated in 1851, plays a key role in organizing celebrations and preserving the site, in collaboration with the Association of Friends of Notre-Dame d'Etang.

External links