Historical Churches - The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Bled Island, Slovenia

The Legend

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Bled Island, Slovenia

According the Legend has it that on this place once stood a shrine of the Ancient Slavonic goddess Živa and was burnt down during the Christian war against the pagans. Priest Staroslav and his daughter Bogomila guarded it when Črtomir came to the island. The temple was destroyed during battles between the followers of the Pagan Cult and Christians, who destroyed the altar and built a church. Bogomila stayed in the new church with her father, while Črtomir, after his baptism near the Savica waterfall, went to Aquilea and became a missionary of the Aquilean patriarch among Slovenes.  The bell has its own tale as well. It sank to the bottom of the lake during its transport to the island. Later on, the Pope sent a new bell for the church. To commemorate this event, the locals annually organize a symbolic pulling-the-bell-out -of-the -water. Visitors can chime the Wish Bell in order for their wishes to come true. On the Bled Island, archeologists have discovered traces of prehistoric (11th to 8th centuries B.C.) and Slavic (9th to 10th century) settlements. 124 graves with skeletons from the 9th to the 11th century were found.
The Church

Lake Bled Island Church Altar

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Bled Island, Slovenia located on the island surrounded by the lake, presents the most recognizable icon at Bled Island. The first masonry church on the island, a three-naved Romanesque basilica, was consecrated by the Aquilean patriarch Pellegrino in 1142. In the 15th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style: a new presbytery, a freestanding bell tower and the main altar were built. The renovated single-nave church was consecrated in 1465 by the first Bishop of Ljubljana, Count Žiga Lamberg. In 1509 it was so damaged by an earthquake that it required thorough renovation, and this was carried out in the Baroque style. Only the frescoes in the presbytery and a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, which probably adorned the main altar, are preserved from the previous Gothic Church. The church's present form is from the 17th century when it was renovated after another earthquake. The bell tower, which was built in the 15th century, has been renovated several times due to damage by two earthquakes, and in 1688 it was struck by lightning. The present tower is 54 m high and has three bells.

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Beautiful Churches - The Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame), Montreal

Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal

Founded in 1642 in the village, then known as Ville-Marie, had its first wooden chapel inside the palisade at Pointe-à-Callière, today the site of Montreal’s major archaeological museum. Dedicated to Our Lady the Blessed Virgin (“Notre Dame”), the small original chapel was operated at first by the Jesuits. The Sulpician Fathers in 1657 undertook construction of a larger church. The Sulpician François Dollier de Casson was its architect, and the present-day Notre-Dame Street served as the original site. Its construction, in Baroque style was completed between 1672 and 1683. By 1800, Dollier’s church had become too small, and the Fabrique decided to build the church we know today. To design the new church, the building council engaged the services of the New York Architect James O’Donnell. O’Donnell opted for the Gothic Revival style then in vogue in England and the United States.

Interior - Notre Dame Montreal

The main construction work took place between 1824 and 1829. One of the most famous names ever to work on the interior of the basilica was the architect Victor Bourgeau. From 1872 to 1879, he tended to the church's main altar, which was carved from linden wood. The altar was later replaced by a 32-panel altar cast in bronze and fashioned by another Montréal architect, Charles Daudelin. The amazing stained-glass windows in the Basilique Notre-Dame depict the history of Ville-Marie (Montréal) and were imported from Limoges, France. The sky-blue color of the walls is unusual but provides visitors with the startling feeling of being out in the open under a clear sky. Sculptor Henri Bouriché produced the large statues and reliefs for the main altar and created the reredos (altarpiece screens) that were designed by Bourgeau. The eastern tower holds a 10-bell carillon and the opposite tower is home to an immense 12-ton bell that has come to be known as "Le Gros Bourdon (the large bumblebee)", rung for special occasions. The organ, designed by French organ maker Casavant, is exquisite and often heard in concert. The Notre-Dame Church was raised to the status of basilica by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Montreal in 1982. Some of the features of the Notre-Dame Basilica include a vaulted ceiling with thousands of 24-karat gold stars, detailed stained-glass windows telling the history of Montreal, life-size wood carvings, and a pipe organ with more than 7000 pipes. Many of Montreal’s celebrities have had their weddings and funerals at the Notre-Dame Basilica. Some of these celebrity events include the funeral of hockey legend, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the wedding of Celine Dion and the funeral of including former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.