OUR LADY OF THE THORN
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The Notre-Dame-de-l'Épine basilica was built on the model of Reims cathedral
Legend has it that in 1400, a shepherd discovered a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary in the middle of a thorn bush next to a chapel. The present-day church was then built to house the statue. Built on the model of Reims Cathedral, the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-l'Épine, with its spires in the center of the village, was originally a place of pilgrimage. Crowds flocked to the site in the 14th century, and it reached its peak in the 19th century. The western facade of the church, "a splendid flower of Gothic art" according to Victor Hugo, is covered with a fine flamboyant decoration that bears witness to its era. As the edifice was built on the generosity of pilgrims, the prodigal gestures signified on the site are striking. Two spires of unequal height overhang the towers, allowing the basilica to be seen from afar across the Champagne plain. Did you know that the history of this building is linked to that of the aerial telegraph? In 1790, the Chappe brothers had the spire of the north tower razed to the ground to accommodate one of their mechanisms. In 1852, the telegraph lines were abandoned, but it wasn't until some fifty years later that the north spire was rebuilt identically. The 123 gargoyles on the facade still attract attention, and many visitors to L'Épine stop to admire this masterpiece. As you pass through the doorway, you'll be captivated by the breathtaking realism of the carefully illuminated Entombment scene.
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