The Saint Maurice basilica of Épinal, in the Vosges, was built in the 11th century on the foundations of an older building. Romanesque style, it is remodeled and enlarged from the thirteenth, aisles being added on both sides of the nave. At this time also, the choir is rebuilt, and a new portal overlooking the city is built in the north wall of the nave.
First abbey dedicated to Saint Goëry whose relics with miraculous virtues are then the subject of pilgrimages, it is still in the thirteenth century that it becomes the seat of a chapter of canonesses and that it is dedicated to St. Mauritius.
Featuring a singular 30 m high belfry tower, its material, the pink sandstone of the Vosges, its mixture of styles (at the hinge between Romanesque and Gothic), its dimensions (the nave is 14 m high), its grandstands served by stairs in turrets visible from the outside, also amaze the visitor.
Classified as a Historical Monument in 1846, the church was elevated to a minor basilica in 1933 by decision of Pope Pius XI. Ornaments with red and gold stripes recall this title.
Inside still, we can admire a painting by Nicolas Bellot depicting the Passion (XVII), the necropolis where the old canonesses, reliquaries.
Equipped with quality acoustics, the basilica hosts concerts in summer.
Free visit every day. Information on +33 3 29 82 53 32.
