The local celebrity is the Basilica of Notre Dame de Dadizele, a religious building elevated to the rank of basilica by Leo XIII on January 31, 1882, built in the 19th century in neo-Gothic style, replacing an older church which had already been a place of Marian pilgrimage since the 15th century. Marian worship or Marian devotion is the veneration that Catholics and Orthodox people have for Mary, mother of Jesus.
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Ancient Marian cult
A manuscript from 1147 mentions this cult of the Virgin Mary, which undoubtedly dates back to the 10th century. Since the 13th century, numerous pilgrims and faithful have visited the miraculous Virgin of Dadizele, the chapel is full of gifts and local lords give their support.
The monumental Basilica includes the choir, a crypt, the transept, a nave with five naves and a west block. It is an exceptional neo-Gothic place of worship in the region, with stylistic characteristics consistent with English “Reformed Gothic”, set in the middle of a walled garden with a paved path, lime trees and an avenue with the statue of Our Lady. The first place of worship was probably a wooden chapel, which was replaced by a church in the second half of the 18th century. With the development of the cult of Mary in the 15th century, where the Virgin had been venerated for a long time, Dadizele became a very popular place of pilgrimage. Around 1400, the church was dilapidated and the number of pilgrims increased to such an extent that the construction of a new church was necessary. The construction of the place of worship began in 1462 and lasted throughout the second half of the 15th century. The church was destroyed by fire during the Wars of Religion in 1580, then rebuilt in the first quarter of the 17th century after the return of peace.
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In 1849, the first plans to build a new, larger church in honor of the Virgin saw the light of day. The Bishop of Bruges, Monseigneur Malou, was the initiator. In 1852, he commissioned the English architect Thomas Harper King, who was staying in Bruges, to produce the first sketches of a monumental church. After the old church was declared dilapidated in 1855, English architect Eduard Welby Pugin was commissioned to build it. The church was built between 1860 and 1878 according to Pugin’s plans, modified several times during the work under the direction of the Kortrijk architect PN Croquison. After the death of EW Pugin in 1875, architects JB de Bethune and A. Verhaegen took matters into their own hands. JB de Bethune takes care of the interior finishes, while A.Verhaegen designs the stained glass windows. On September 1, 1867, mass was celebrated there for the first time, although work continued until 1880.
The Notre-Dame Basilica continues to attract many pilgrims, particularly during the month of May and the September novena.
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