Notre Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg, aka Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church in the Grand Duchy. Its founders are the Jesuits, who first built their own college in this city, and then decided to acquire a temple. In 1613 they laid the first stone, and 10 years later the church was consecrated and opened.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg: construction history
The construction was carried out by the architect Jean du Block. For the next 150 years after the construction, the Jesuit order visited the church and prayed here. But in the mid-1700s, the influence of the brotherhood on the economy and politics of Europe began to cause concern. Therefore, representatives of the society were expelled from the territory of the European state.
In 1773, the church was presented with a miraculous image called the "Comforter Virgin". Actually, he became the reason that the church was given the name of Our Lady of Luxembourg. But this happened only in 1848. First shewas named the church of St. Nicholas and St. Theresa, since in 1778 Maria Theresa (Empress of Austria) donates Notre Dame to the city, thanks to which the church becomes a parish. Well, the title of the cathedral was awarded to him only in 1870. This was done by Pope Pius IX himself after he consecrated it.
Architectural style: the meeting of two eras
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg (Luxembourg) is the clearest example of late Gothic architecture, which also contains many elements of Renaissance architecture. Thanks to this unusual fusion, the building looks especially charming. This is the rarest example of a late Gothic church with Renaissance elements not only in Europe but throughout the world.
Exterior and interior: a description of the Luxembourg Notre Dame
Inside and out, Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg looks very impressive. In it, Gothic rigor is softened by elements of the Renaissance. And the Moorish-style decorations used in the arrangement of rich choirs complete the overall picture. The temple is crowned with three towers, two of which were erected during the period of large-scale reconstruction (1935-1938) - this is the eastern and central. The western one has existed since the founding of the cathedral. She was still part of the Jesuit church. Then and now it plays the role of a bell tower.
From the outside you can see the Gothic style in everything: the manner of construction, the arched narrow windows, and individual decorative elements. When you look at it from the street, it seems that the templesmall. But this opinion changes, one has only to get inside. Parishioners expect spacious rooms with vaulted ceilings. Luxurious interior decoration deserves special attention. The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Luxembourg seems to have moved briefly from the Middle Ages. It seems that knights accompanied by beautiful ladies are about to enter the great halls. Here you can see impressive columns with an arabesque, a variety of sculptures, a neo-Gothic confessional. Brightness to all this is added by beautiful stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes.
The image of the Virgin Mary mentioned above is in the south room. This is an object of pilgrimage. It is precisely for the purpose of seeing it that a huge number of traveling pilgrims come here every year. It is worth paying attention to the richly decorated choirs and the painting of the central nave. There are also underground rooms with a vaulted ceiling, which are designed to honor the relics of saints and burial, in other words, the crypt. The remains of the Luxembourg dukes are buried in it, and at the entrance you can see huge bronze lions acting as a kind of guard. Also in this room is stored the sarcophagus of the Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia John the Blind.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg: interesting facts
The temple is almost 400 years old. All this time he conscientiously fulfills his direct "duties". This is perhaps the main fact, because such churches can be found infrequently. This feature is most important in historical terms, because the templeexperienced changes and important state events together with the city. It has been visited by more than one hundred generations: the walls still keep the memory of all the people who were once present here.
It will also be interesting to know that the cathedral is a holy place for pilgrimage for Roman Catholics who come to the image of the Mother of God in order to enlist her support, ask for patronage. Every fifth Sunday after Easter, the image of the Mother of God is carried around the city. It is noteworthy that the route followed by people has been preserved since the Middle Ages.
Address of the Cathedral
The temple is located at 4 Place de Clairefontaine, Luxembourg. The Cathedral is open every day. Entrance, like all other churches, is free. Notre Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg, the photo of which was presented in this article, is one of the main attractions of a small, but beautiful and such an unusual state. Visiting it is "plan A" for every tourist, because only here you can see the beautiful fusion of two eras and enjoy the solemn, enchanting sounds of the organs.
