The Basilica of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is located in the city of Lisieux, in the department of Calvados, Normandy, in northwestern France.
Lisieux is a historical city that dates back to Roman times. It is primarily known as the birthplace and residence of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, a significant figure in the Catholic Church in the 19th century. Thérèse Martin was born on January 2, 1873, in Alençon, a nearby town to Lisieux, but her family moved to Lisieux shortly after her birth.
The basilica is built on the site of the former parish church of Saint-Pierre, where Thérèse was baptized and received her first communion. After Thérèse's death in 1897, her popularity quickly grew, leading to the initiative of constructing a basilica in her honor.
The construction of the basilica began in 1929 and spanned a period of 25 years. It was inaugurated and consecrated in 1954 by Cardinal Maurice Feltin, the Archbishop of Paris. Since then, the basilica has become a major pilgrimage site for Catholics worldwide.
