Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières, Byzantine Revival minor basilica in Albert, France
The Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières is a Byzantine Revival church in Albert, northern France, topped by a golden Virgin statue that sits on a dome rising about 76 meters above the ground. The statue, sculpted by Albert Roze, is visible from a long distance and serves as a landmark for the surrounding area.
Construction began in 1885 under architect Edmond Duthoit, and Pope Leo XIII raised it to the rank of minor basilica shortly after. The church was heavily damaged during World War I and was fully rebuilt and reconsecrated in the 1920s.
Inside, stained glass windows by Jacques Grüber and wall paintings by Victor-Ferdinand Bourgeois fill the space with color and detail. The work reflects a local tradition of craft that visitors can take in slowly by walking through the nave.
The basilica is open regularly and can be visited both during services and at other times of day. Arriving outside of main service hours gives visitors more space to walk around and take in the interior at their own pace.
During World War I, a shell strike left the golden Virgin statue dangling sideways from the top of the tower without falling to the ground. British and Australian soldiers who could see it from the front lines gave it the nickname 'the Leaning Virgin' and used it as a landmark in the landscape of the battlefield.
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