Notre-Dame d’Espérance, Gothic basilica in Charleville-Mézières, France
Notre-Dame d'Espérance is a church in Charleville-Mézières built in the Gothic style, rising above the city with pointed arches and ribbed vaults throughout its interior. The vast stained glass windows flood the space with colored light and cover about 1,000 square meters of wall surface.
Construction started in 1499 and lasted about 120 years, reusing parts of an older Romanesque church that once stood on the site. This extended building period allowed the structure to evolve and eventually become one of the region's most important religious buildings.
The basilica was built to honor an apparition of Mary reported in this place during the early 1400s. Visitors today come to connect with this spiritual foundation that shaped the sanctuary's purpose from its beginning.
Admission is free and the basilica welcomes visitors during daytime hours for self-guided exploration. Morning visits are ideal, as sunlight streams through the stained glass windows and brings out the colors and details throughout the space.
The stained glass windows were created between 1954 and 1979 based on designs by René Dürrbach, showing a modern approach to color and light. A total of 62 panels and 6 round windows form an impressive body of glass work that fills the entire space with illumination.
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