HOLY BLOOD BASILICA
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Basilica of the Holy Blood, on the town square, of Gothic and Renaissance style, very busy, grey almost black and statues
Located on the Place du Bourg, next to the town hall, its facade is both Gothic and Renaissance in style, very busy, grey almost black, with gilded statues and stuccoes. The Basilica of the Holy Blood actually comprises two churches: below, the Romanesque chapel of Saint Basil (12th century) retains its style and cylindrical pillars. Upstairs, the flamboyant Basilica of the Holy Blood was built on top of the former at the end of the 15th century, and converted into a neo-Gothic style in the 19th century. It houses numerous wall paintings from this period, including a triptych depicting a Pietà. The Museum of the Holy Blood houses religious vestments, paintings and the famous shrine containing the Holy Blood relic. According to medieval legends, this fillet of Jesus' hemoglobin was collected in a vase, the Holy Chalice or Holy Grail, by Joseph of Arimathea, a Jewish nobleman who proceeded to Jesus' descent from the cross and burial. It was then brought back from the Holy Land (Constantinople) by Thierry d'Alsace during the2nd Crusade in the 13th century.
Procession of the Holy Blood. This procession, held on Ascension Day, attracts tens of thousands of spectators every year. The procession features tableaux vivants from the Old and New Testaments, a procession of representatives of medieval trades, and, finally, Thierry d'Alsace bringing back the vial of Holy Blood from Jerusalem.
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