11 Chapelle Notre Dame des Dunes in Dunkirk

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 Still in Dunkirk, this lovely little chapel. I really liked the stations of the cross.

Wikipedia only has a paragraph

La chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Dunes (xve siècle) ou « Petite Chapelle » : au ixe siècle, le duc de Bourgogne décide l'érection d'une enceinte autour de Dunkerque alors ravagée par de multiples guerres. Lors de la construction de ces défenses, on trouve une statue de la Vierge près d'une source inconnue d'eau douce. Les villageois y voient alors une marque de protection céleste. On construit un oratoire appelé d'abord Notre-Dame de la Fontaine puis Notre-Dame-des-Dunes, qui résista aux sévices des guerres et invasions. En 1794, alors que la « Petite Chapelle » a été transformée en cartoucherie, elle est détruite par une explosion, la statuette de la Vierge ayant été préservée127. En 1816, elle est reconstruite mais la source a disparu. Le 31 mai 1903, 200 000 personnes participent à la fête du cinquième centenaire de la découverte de la statue128. En 1917, une promesse d'agrandissement est faite à la Vierge si la ville est épargnée par l'invasion imminente de la région, ce qui fut le cas. La promesse a été relevée en 1953129. Un pèlerinage annuel à la chapelle en septembre a toujours lieu au xxe siècle130.






























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