Basilica of Our Lady of Avioth, France

The Great Church of Avioth

Foundation

In the 12th century  , the accidental discovery of a statue of the Virgin and Child and the miraculous return to its location led to the creation of a first oratory . A small wooden chapel was probably built shortly afterwards to house the statue, but quickly became insufficient in the face of popular fervour. A first Romanesque church was probably built in stone, at least some pillars of the choir seem to date from this period. The village was liberated in 1223 and quickly saw an economic boom alongside the pilgrimage. It thus seems that the construction of a vast Gothic nave followed shortly after, probably at the end of the 13th century.

Building

Few documents allow us to date the current church, the construction of which seems to have begun with the choir in a typical Radiant style of the end of the 13th century  . The church stands on a vast terrace surrounded by an enclosure that is still clearly visible and dominated by the receiver.

The plan is of the basilica type with two levels and an ambulatory . The general style seems to borrow from many schools, Lorraine for the elevations (double elevation – non-projecting transepts), Champenoise for the ambulatory and the glass portal of the western facade, in the Reims style. The western facade, which dates from the 14th century  , presents an impressive profusion of sculptures (spared after the French Revolution ) and clearly takes up the elevation of the nearby abbey church of Mouzon .

The north side has been the least modified, a small portal opening onto the transept and surmounted by a large bay in the Toulois style. In the first bay of the choir was added in the 15th century  an elegant small two-storey building whose function is unknown and which remains totally invisible from the inside. The side portal, dating from the 15th century  , became the main portal, a profusion of sculptures presents in its center a sculpted tympanum evoking the life of the Virgin Mary . At the end of the 15th century  , a vast flamboyant chapel was added in the extension of the south transept, it was significantly modified and decorated again during the Renaissance , particularly in its decoration.

The 18th century  established a vast staircase providing direct access to the terrace in front of the western portal. Few statues were removed during the French Revolution and some less visible restorations were carried out in the 19th century  by Émile Boeswillwald .