Our Lady's Church, Catholic church in Foy-Notre-Dame, Belgium
Our Lady's Church is a Mosan Baroque brick church with grey stone trim, built from local limestone, Rance marble, brick and oak. Its square tower carries a dark slate spire with two pinnacles and a cross; the carved arched portal has a statue niche above, and the year 1622 appears in yellow numerals on the brickwork. Inside, the ceiling has 145 oak coffers painted with Marian mysteries, saints and Church doctors.
A wooden statue of the Virgin was found in an oak in 1609 by the woodcutter Gilles of Wanlin and Innocent Delimoir. After a healing was reported in 1616, a larger chapel was built from 1622; the church was consecrated on 8 September 1624. The oak ceiling coffers were completed about ten years later with pilgrims' donations.
The name Foy-Notre-Dame comes from the Marian devotion that began with the 1609 discovery of a terracotta Virgin in an oak. Pilgrims still come, and the church keeps an altar retable given by Archdukes Albert and Isabella. The 145 oak coffers painted with Marian mysteries, saints and Church doctors are the element to look for inside.
The church stands in the centre of Foy-Notre-Dame, about six kilometres east of Dinant. Enter through the carved portal beneath the tower; inside, look up at the 145 oak coffers of the ceiling. The building is a listed Walloon heritage property, so group visits may require booking.
The structure holds the designation of Exceptional Heritage Property of Wallonia, reflecting its importance for Belgian architecture. This recognition highlights its value as a building worth preserving for the future.
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