Notre-Dame de Boulogne

Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Basilique Notre-Dame de l'Immaculée Conception
Basilica of Notre-Dame
Basic information
Location	Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, France
Geographic coordinates	50°43′34″N 1°36′54″E / 50.72611°N 1.61500°E / 50.72611; 1.61500Coordinates: 50°43′34″N 1°36′54″E / 50.72611°N 1.61500°E / 50.72611; 1.61500
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Diocese of Arras
Country	France
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Minor basilica
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Classical

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Boulogne is a minor basilica located in Boulogne-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais département of northern France. The basilica, a prominent landmark of the city with its 101 metre high dome, was built between 1827 and 1875 on the site of the medieval cathedral of Boulogne: the basilica is still known locally as the "cathedral", although the present church has never had that status.

The site of modern Boulogne was occupied by the Romans and was used by the Emperor Claudius as his base for the Roman invasion of Britain. By the 4th century, the town, known as Bononia, was a major port of the empire.

The first Christian building on the site was probably built by the Romans during the 4th or 5th century, on the peak of the hill that forms the modern haute ville.

According to legend, in about 633, while Saint Audomare (Saint Omer) was bishop of Thérouanne, an unmanned boat carrying a luminous statue of the Virgin Mary was sighted in the estuary at Boulogne. The statue was carried to the church and soon miracles were reported at the site. Between the 13th and 16th century the statue, known as Notre-Dame de la Mer ("Our Lady of the Sea") became a popular object of pilgrimage, bringing prosperity to the town.

In around 1100 a new church was built on the site and over the next few centuries underwent numerous changes, such as the addition of a choir in the 14th century. In 1308 it was the location of the wedding of Edward II of England to Isabella of France, an event commemorated by a memorial in the crypt.

In 1567, on the creation of the Diocese of Boulogne, the church was elevated to be its cathedral, and flourished until the French Revolution, when the Civil Constitution of the Clergy of 1790 brought it under government control. Worship in the cathedral was prohibited: the (Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) became the centre of worship in Boulogne, and after a period as a military warehouse, the cathedral was sold to traders from outside the city. The building was then demolished in stages, and, in 1793, the celebrated miraculous statue of Our Lady of the Sea was burned. Only a small portion of the statue's hand survived.