Église Notre-Dame de Benoîte-Vaux, Medieval pilgrimage church in Rambluzin-et-Benoîte-Vaux, France.
Église Notre-Dame de Benoîte-Vaux is a medieval church set in a forest valley between Verdun and Bar-le-Duc, marked by a Tuscan-style western facade carved with Christ and the four evangelists. The grounds contain multiple buildings for lodging with a combined capacity of 100 beds, plus a dining hall and religious bookshop.
The church was established in 1157 when Bishop Albéron de Chiny of Verdun granted the land of Basse-Ham, later named Benoîte-Vaux, to the Premonstratensian abbey of Notre-Dame de l'Étanche. This monastic foundation laid the groundwork for its role as a pilgrimage destination over the centuries.
The pilgrimage is held every year in the first week of September, and the statue's liturgical coronation took place on 8 September 1875. The two crowns now visible on the Virgin and Child are replicas; the originals are kept in safety. The head of the Infant Jesus, saved from the 1793 vandalism, was fitted onto a borrowed bust and placed in the north transept of the church.
The church stands in a valley near the Meuse TGV station, about 30 km south of Verdun. The annual pilgrimage is held in the first week of September. The Stations of the Cross line up outdoors as 14 monoliths, so allow time to walk the whole alignment. The church, including its bell tower, has been classified as a monument historique since 27 June 1983.
The site features fourteen monolithic Stations of the Cross carved from stone quarried at Euville, completed by sculptor Désiré Fosse in 1895 based on Henri Chapu's original design. These carved reliefs form a rare artistic collection that few other locations possess in this form.
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