Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Lyon (must see)

"Fourviere" is a corruption of the French version of the Latin name, "forum vetus," meaning "Old Forum." Old Forum in French becomes "Vieux-Forum." Reverse it and say it fast and voila! We have "Fourviere." The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere of Lyon is sitting on the remains the Roman forum built by Trajan. Nothing more need be said.

The basilica was built in the years 1872 to 1896 using private funds. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She is credited with saving the city from the Black Plague in 1643. Each December 8th, the Festival of Lights is held in her honor. Lighted candles are placed outside every window, and Light Shows play over building facades.

The Virgin has not been neglectful. It is said she also saved the city from the Cholera epidemic in 1832 and the Prussian invasion of 1871. Like the Sacred Heart of Montmartre (Sacré Coeur de Montmartre), the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere perches on a high hill, a votive offering and a victory memorial.

The basilica has a Museum of Sacred Art and sees over two million visitors and pilgrims every year. The church was designed by historicist architect Pierre Bossan. He foreswore Gothic influences, embracing Romanesque and Byzantine styles.

The basilica has four towers and a bell tower with a gilded statue of the Virgin. There is a wealth of mosaics, stained glass and a crypt to Saint Joseph. There are actually two sanctuaries. The upper one is lush and ornate. The lower sanctuary is simple. The building, with its four towers, is said to look like an elephant upside-down.

The basilica is not the first shrine at Fourviere. The earliest chapel on the site dedicated to Mary dates from 1170. The most recent reconstruction was in 1852 when the tower bearing the golden statue by sculptor Joseph Fabisch was installed. The city committed to build the basilica after the Franco-Prussian War of 1871.