Basilique Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance

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The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Hope (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance) is a basilica located in the municipality of Estinnes, Belgium. It has been a basilica minor since Pope Pius XII's upliftment on April 26, 1957. She is devoted to Our Lady. The basilica is the abbey church of the former Abbey of Bonne-Espérance of the norbertines. The abbey has a secondary school, the Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance collége, a former small seminary. The church was recognized and protected by royal decree as a monument of architectural heritage on January 22, 1973, and was later protected by the Agence wallonne du Patrimoine (Patrimoine culturel immobilier classé de la Wallonie) and was included in 2013 in the relatively limited list of exceptional heritage, the Patrimoine immobilier exceptionnel de la Région wallonne.

History: A first Romanesque abbey church was built in 1132, according to the chronicles of the late 17th century abbot Englebert Maghe of the Abbey. In 1212 a tower was built on this church. Apart from these dates mentioned in the aforementioned chronicles, there is no...