The Basilica of Our Lady of Brebieres is located on the locality of Albert, in the Somme, 30 km north-east of Amiens.
It was built from 1885 to 1897 to replace the parish church dating from 1705, which became too small after the demographic growth of the city following its industrialization.
The site was already an important place of Marian worship since the eleventh century in Picardy, and a rise in the number of pilgrims had been observed following the appearances of the Virgin in Lourdes. For this reason, as soon as the church was inaugurated, it was given the title of basilica by Pope Leo XIII, eager to "make Albert the Lourdes of the North of France".
Designed by the architect Edmond Duthoit, a pupil of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the basilica was destroyed during the First World War and was rebuilt in the same way, completed in 1931. The building adjoins the rest now a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Somme of 1916.
The Notre-Dame de Brebières basilica is an example of neo-Byzantine style with Art Deco notes. Italian, Moorish and Egyptian influences have been claimed by the architect.
We note that the main facade is formed by a porch with three gates located under the bell tower, that the floor and the facade are decorated with mosaics and especially that the bell tower culminates at 76 m. Its upper part is composed of a dome supporting a Virgin covered with gold leaves, a work of the Picard Albert Roze.
An outdoor gallery allows you to go around the bell tower and enjoy a remarkable view of the city and its surroundings.
In addition, each span of the nave is connected to collaterals opening on chapels, the frame being decorated with a coffered ceiling.
70 m long, the basilica is home to a rich interior (mosaics and stained glass windows of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, statue of Our Lady of Brebières XIV, works carved by Albert Roze such as medallions or statues, paintings).
Two organs are also installed. Finally, the first-rate liturgical furniture includes Carrara marble baptismal font and an eighteenth-century lectern. Note that part of the treasure of the basilica is preserved in the cathedral of Amiens.
Open every day. Free or guided visit (5 euros). Ascent to the bell tower: 1 or 2 euros. Information on +33 3 22 75 16 42.
