Boulogne’s Notre-Dame Basilica and Crypt are Fascinating

Boulogne’s Notre-Dame Basilica certainly evokes memories of my prior visits to Invalides and the Panthéon in Paris as well as Saint Peter’s in Rome and Saint Paul’s in London! All of those gave inspiration to its builder here in Boulogne.

I spent one whole afternoon exploring Boulogne’s Notre-Dame Basilica and Crypt. In truth, the crypt and the altars in the room under the cupola dome captivated me the most.

The Basilica itself dates from 1866, built after the destruction of the older cathedral during the Revolution. Rebuilding took place between 1827 and 1866. Although repeatedly referred to as a cathedral, this Basilica never regained its “cathedral” status.

Tucked in the northwest corner of the fortified city of Boulogne, I navigated by its towers and cupola from wherever I was in town. At 101 meters high, the cupola is quite prominent! The walled part of Boulogne rests on a high point in the city, designed as a protective measure, I’m sure.

 

 

 

The steps at the front of the Basilica end at the small single lane street bordered on the opposite side by just a narrow pedestrian walk. The narrow space prevented a complete picture of the Basilica even with my wide-angle lense.

Legend of the Cathedral Which Preceded this Basilica

To gain some understanding of the iconography around the Virgin here at the Basilica, I went in search of the history which surrounds it. Most literature calls it legend and the small book I found in the Basilica bookstore refers to the “vieux chroniqueurs” (the old historians).

The story tells of a miraculous statue of the Virgin and Child carried to Boulogne in a boat sailed by angels (or in a different account with “no sails, no oars and no sailors”). Arriving in 636A.D. and appearing simultaneously to the villagers, the Virgin revealed a treasure trove that could be used in the construction of the church. Because of this, a statue was created, Our Lady (Notre-Dame) of the Sea, that was revered by pilgrims and Boulogne-sur-Mer became a pilgrimage destination. All but the hand of the original statue was lost during the Revolution in 1793.

 

 

A statue of the Virgin in her boat, replaced the one that was destroyed during the Revolution. Many of the statues of Mary in the church and crypt represent her standing or sitting in a boat.

 

The Cupola of Boulogne’s Notre-Dame Basilica

The cupola dome is an impressive external feature of Boulogne’s Notre-Dame. My favorite memory of it would have to be as the sun was setting in the late afternoon. If I was on the opposite side of the Basilica to the sun, it appeared to  be lit like a lighthouse. So very lovely!

 

 

Evenly spaced around the cupola are four magnificent figures of the Apostles; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

I walked around to the north side of the Basilica in search a better photo and discovered that I could see other statues around the rotunda set in niches between the Apostles.

 

 

 

Inside the cupola at approximately the same level as the statues outside are more sculptures for which I have also been unable to find any reference. They have to be massive in height!

 

 

Altars in the Rotunda

At the time I visited the Basilica, this room in the rotunda was separated from the main part of the church by a closed blue curtain. This felt odd to me and I’ve since seen photos taken from the main aisle of the Basilica with this curtain drawn back so that this magnificent altar can be seen from the main part of the church. That makes much more sense!

 

 

 

The Virgin Chapel is splendid and when the blue curtain is drawn back it becomes visible to the main church congregants.

Several other chapels extend off this area beneath the dome. Some are completely restored or in the process of being restored. The artwork is beautiful!

 

The Main Church – Western Church

This part of the church was not part of the original plans by Father Haffeingue (a self-taught architect). The rotunda and Virgin Chapel, now referred to as the eastern church, were the original plan. Later, Haffreingue decided to extend the project to what people now refer to as the western church.

So many beautiful pieces and parts to this Basilica exist. Knowing that the western church was an after-thought explains why it feels like there are two main sanctuaries. It also explains why it felt incomplete or maybe awkward to me.

For example, the altar below looked like it should be the main altar of the western church.

 

 

 

However, the Sacred Heart of Jesus altar sets to the left of the main altar in this section of the church. The principal altar rests in front of the blue curtain described above and just did not capture my attention. Thus, I took no photo!

If opened, then the altar behind the curtain, the beautiful blue altar,  becomes the focal point of the entire Basilica.

The Basilica pulpit is majestic piece of carved woodwork.

 

 

This wooden sculpture of King David is a remnant of the organ case from the original Cathedral. The attention to detail of the wood-work is definitely worth noting!

 

 

Late afternoon sun rays gave a beautiful glow to this statue.

 

Boulogne’s Notre-Dame Basilica Crypt

A warren of rooms forms the construct of this medieval crypt! And, at 100 meters in length, it practically equals the height of the Basilica! The process of rebuilding the upper church destroyed during the revolution uncovered the crypt in the early 1800s.

Some of the chapel paintings  found in the crypt are 19th century restorations based on faint images still visible at the time of discovery. According to church literature, others represent the oldest examples of Romanesque art in northern France.

Corridors lined with historic pieces of stonework from Roman time to the time of the  previous cathedral give the crypt the feel of a museum.

 

 

Multiple nooks display statuary such as this 19th century Virgin and Child in Tilleul Polychrome – multicolored sculpture of tilleul/limewood.

 

 

 

Some 4000 sq m of walls display paintings from an unknown painter(s)  in the crypt. At least 160 murals, dedicated to historic people of the church, the Old and New Testaments and the legend of Notre-Dame de Boulogne, exist beyond the ones in this vast room.

White-wash covered the paintings in the 12th century, with some of them only recently rediscovered in 2014-2015.

 

My Favorite Room in the Crypt

However, it is the circular crypt room that was my favorite. First, look at the room leading in to the circular crypt.  Recreated from faint images left on the surfaces, discerning the original frescoes here from the recreations takes an expert.

 

Constructed during the 1830s, the circular crypt served as a foundation for the circular rotunda above. Originally this area would have been under the medieval church chancel. Today it is dedicated to the Virgin and the 12 Bishops of Boulogne.

The sculpture in the center dates from 1870. It is dedicated to the “Dormition (death) of the Virgin”. The empty tomb (cenotaph) supported by the angels symbolizes the assumption of Mary into heaven, leaving the empty tomb. It is very moving and the frescoes on the walls are mesmerizing!

 

 

Look beneath the cenotaph to what would have been the eastern end of the medieval church, the Apsidial Crypt. There in the distance is an altar. Paintings found in this room reflect episodes of the Passion of Christ. A rustic arch of stone symbolizes the entrance to Christ’s tomb and beyond that are three crosses of Golgotha.

 

 

This French site has a specific time-line of the reconstruction of the crypt.

 

 

Here is one last look at the Basilica towers and dome before I turned in for the night! My little apartment at the foot of the Basilica had a perfect view.