Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port

About

The Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port is a Romanesque basilica, formally a collegiate church, in the Port quarter of Clermont-Ferrand, between Place Delille and the cathedral. From the 10th century to the French Revolution it was served by a community of canons, regular until the 13th century, and thereafter secular.

According to tradition, the church was founded by the Bishop of Clermont, Avitus of Clermont, in the 6th century and was rebuilt in the 11th or 12th century after being burned down by the Normans. The establishment here of a community of canons took place no earlier than the middle of the 10th century, under Bishop Étienne II of Clermont. The church was formally declared a basilica minor on 3 May 1886. In the 19th century, the bell tower was added, and the Romanesque roof tiles were replaced by lava slabs. These have since been removed again and the roof restored as near as possible to its original state. A major restoration program took place in the church interior between 2007 and 2008, consisting of the cleaning of all the stonework, the removal of cement pointing from the restoration of the 19th century, the restoration of the pictures and the placement...