Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Fourvière is believed to have saved Lyon from the bubonic plague in 1643, and Lyon celebrates this event each year on December 8th with the Fête des Lumières, or Festival of Lights, by lighting candles throughout the city. The Virgin Mary is also credited with saving Lyon from other calamities, such as a cholera epidemic in 1832 and a Prussian invasion in 1870.

During the Franco-Prussian War, the Prussian army was advancing towards Lyon after capturing Paris, but their sudden retreat was once again attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Some speculate that the elaborate and expensive construction of the Basilica of Fourvière was a reaction to the Paris and Lyon Communes, and was built with private funds as a gigantic ex-voto to thank God for victory over the socialists and as an expiation for the sins of modern France.

Pierre Bossan designed the basilica, which incorporates elements of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, rather than the popular Gothic style of the time. The basilica boasts four main towers and a belltower topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. It features stunning mosaics, exquisite stained glass, and a crypt dedicated to Saint Joseph.

There are actually two churches within Fourvière, with the upper sanctuary being highly ornate and the lower sanctuary being much simpler in design. Construction of the triumphant basilica began in 1872 and was completed in 1884, with interior finishing touches added as late as 1964.

Bossan's initial sketches for the basilica date back to 1846, when he was in Palermo. The locals have affectionately nicknamed the basilica "the upside-down elephant" due to its resemblance to an elephant's body with the four towers representing its legs.

The Children's Choir of Saint Mark, also known as Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc, holds the distinction of being the official choir of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Its director, Nicolas Porte, has overseen the choir's success, which rose to fame after the release of the movie Les Choristes in 2004.

Since 1982 the tower has housed the antennas of Radio Fourvière, the predecessor of Radios chrétiennes francophones.

For centuries, Fourvière has been a popular site for pilgrimages, with a shrine dedicated to Our Lady standing there since 1170. Over time, the chapel and other parts of the building have undergone various reconstructions, the most recent of which took place in 1852. During this renovation, Joseph-Hugues Fabisch sculpted a golden statue of the Virgin Mary to replace the former steeple.

In 1816, twelve Marist aspirants, including priests and seminarians, climbed the hill to the shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière. During Mass celebrated by Jean-Claude Courveille, they placed their promise to found the Society of Mary (Marists) under the corporal on the altar.

André Coindre and ten others privately took vows in the chapel in 1821, which led to the founding of the Fratres a Sacratissimo Corde Iesu (Brothers of the Sacred Heart), a Roman Catholic religious community focused on educating youth.

On January 21, 1851, Peter Julian Eymard prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière and was inspired to establish the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1870, when the Franco-Prussian War spared the city of Lyon, the community committed to constructing the present-day Basilica alongside the ancient chapel.