Notre-Dame Basilica
A high place of Christian pilgrimage, the sanctuary of Pontmain, in Mayenne, came into being following the apparition of the Virgin Mary to the children of the village on 17 January 1871. The imposing neo-gothic style basilica, built in the 19th century near the site of the apparition, houses in its choir beautiful stained glass windows illustrating the Virgin's apparitions in Pontmain, Lourdes and La Salette, as well as scenes from the life of Christ. The Barbedette barn, from which the children saw the Blessed Virgin in 1871, has been converted into a place of prayer and meditation.
About this building
In Gothic Revival style, the basilica is built entirely of granite. Started in June 1873, the church was completed in 1894 and consecrated on October 15, 1900. It was raised to the rank of basilica on 21 February 1905. The realization of the stained glass windows of the basilica is spread over more than 120 years, they prove to be of a great coherence in the colors and in the message they want to transmit. At the entrance of the Basilica, you can see the Chapel of Lights where a beautiful mosaic represents the Apparition. Inside, you will be surprised by the extraordinary luminosity of the building, rendered by its grandiose set of stained glass windows.
