Basilique Notre-Dame de l'Epine

The Basilica of l'Epine is a masterpiece of flamboyant Gothic art which has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages with a humble chapel which has existed since 1200.

In 1400, shepherds are said to have discovered a miraculous statue of the Virgin and Child in a burning thornbush. The current church would have been built to house the statue. The cult has developed to the point of making it the subject of one of the great pilgrimages in the north of the kingdom.

Built in the 15th and 16th centuries thanks to the generosity of pilgrims, its plan and structure are those of a small cathedral in the Gothic style. It became a basilica in 1914.

You can admire its very well-preserved original furniture, its many gargoyles, a rood screen from the end of the 15th century whose right arcade houses the statue of the Virgin, the origin of the reputation of the place.

Opening hours of the Basilica shop:
- Monday: 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. in winter)
- Tuesday to Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. in winter)
- Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. in winter)

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