Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Guingamp

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours (French: Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours de Guingamp) is located in the town of Guingamp, in Brittany, France. Originally a castle chapel and then a parish church, built not later than the early 12th century, it became a Marian pilgrimage destination dedicated to Our Lady of Good Help which gained prominence in the 17th century. It was raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1899.

History

In 1093, Stephen I, Count of Penthièvre, inherited the countship of Penthièvre following the death of his elder brother, Count Geoffrey I. He significantly developed the town and its surroundings. Within the city walls, the former castle chapel became a respected and influential parish church.

In the 12th century, the church was successively dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and the Blessed Virgin Mary, becoming a Marian pilgrimage site.

In the early 13th century, a major collapse necessitated extensive reconstruction, which lasted over fifty years and was completed around 1350 under Charles de Blois, Duke of Brittany. The duke contributed to the construction of the sacristy, laying its first stone, and the high altar. The church and town endured hardships during the War of the Breton Succession and the French Wars of Religion. It was not until the mid-17th century that the church's prominence and the cult of the Virgin Mary gained significant recognition.