Celebrations
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière) is a minor basilica in Lyon, France. It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1896 in a dominant position overlooking the city. The site it occupies was once the Roman forum of Trajan, the forum vetus (old forum), thus its name (as an inverted corruption of the French Vieux-Forum).
Fourvière is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to whom is attributed the salvation of the city of Lyon from the bubonic plague that swept Europe in 1643.[1] Each year in early December (December 8, day of the Immaculate Conception), Lyon thanks the Virgin for saving the city by lighting candles throughout the city, in what is called the Fête des Lumières or the Festival of Lights[2].[2] The Virgin is also credited with saving the city a number of other times, such as from a Cholera epidemic in 1832, and from Prussian invasion in 1870.[1]
During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), Prussian forces, having taken Paris, were progressing south towards Lyon. Their halt and retreat were, once again, attributed by the Church to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
Speculating on the reasons for the construction of such an elaborate and expensive building, one author makes the statement that: "The reaction to the communes of Paris and Lyon were triumphalist monuments, the Sacré-Coeur of Montmartre and the basilica of Fourvière, dominating both cities. These buildings were erected with private funds, as gigantic ex-votos, to thank God for victory over the socialists and in expiation of the sins of modern France."[3]
Tradition holds that a brother of St. Teresa of Avila brought the statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception from Spain to Nicaragua in the 1500s. Several days before December 8, the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Nicaraguans begin honoring their patron saint. In the plaza outside the church in the town of El Viejo ("The Old"), people gather on December 6 to polish the silver ex voto objects given over the years in thanks to Our Lady for answered prayers. On December 7, the gritería takes place. Families make splendid altars in their homes which can be seen from outside. People admiring them shout, "¿Quién es la causa de nuestra alegría?" (Who is the cause of our happiness?). Residents of the house answer, "La Concepción de María!" then offer sweets and traditional dishes to the visitors.[3]
[1] https://www.fourviere.org/en/discover/notre-dame-de-fourviere/basilica-2/
[2] In 1848, the chapel’s old bell tower lost its turret, called “the needle”. The architect Duboys designed the bell tower’s reconstruction. However, his design wasn’t much appreciated. The decision was made to put a statue of the Virgin on top of the new bell tower. Joseph-Hugues Fabisch won the competition and made the Virgin statue in golden bronze. It is 5.60 meters high (18 ft). This huge statue should have been erected on the 8th of September 1852 but a rise of the Saone River resulted in flooding of the foundry workshop, so the inauguration was postponed. Eventually the golden statue of the Virgin was inaugurated on the 8th of December.
Two years later, this improvised festival took on a life of its own when the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed. Today, a large procession takes place every December 8th, from Saint Jean to Fourvière. At dusk, Catholics light up their windows with candles. For several years the city of Lyon has organised the “Festival of Lights” which brings together two million people in Lyon for four days of festivities.
[3] https://www.wherewewalked.info/feasts/12-December/12-06.htm
