A new stage for the Basilica
Since it was erected as a basilica (2009), after the beatification of the Martin couple (2008), the Notre-Dame church, which saw the marriage of the Martin couple and the baptism of Thérèse, had benefited from almost no development to accommodate people and visitors-tourists, in order to offer contemplation, to help understand the place and to discover the life of the Martin family and its eminent figure, Saint Thérèse.
Since the Lisieux Sanctuary donated important relics of the Martin couple, which are housed in the wedding chapel (summer 2025), an ambitious project for new facilities has been conceived. It will be implemented in two phases: the chapel's installation with the reliquary in 2025, and a visitor route available from the beginning of summer 2026. To support this project, donations are always welcome (donation box in the chapel, Sanctuary website...).
The design of the basilica's new layout was a collaborative effort between the Sanctuary, the parish, and professionals in religious and cultural venues: Bruno Mousset (Histoires de…) and designer Christophe Berte (Nantes). Our aim is to offer a pilgrimage experience that leads visitors through the side aisles, the wedding chapel, and back to the chapel where Saint Thérèse was baptized. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the Martin family, explore the spiritual legacy of Louis and Zélie Martin and the figure of Thérèse, welcome pilgrims and visitors from the moment they enter, offer different levels of reading for adults and children, and enrich the experience with audio content based on the family correspondence.
