About Our Lady of the Dorada Basilica:
Our Lady of the Dorada (Daurade) Basilica was built on the site of a former pagan temple in the early 5th century, and re-dedicate to the Blessed Virgin Mary.. in Toulouse, France, is probably the oldest Marian shrine in France.
This church contains mosaics made with gold leaf, hence its name “Deaurata” or “Daurade” (the Golden or the Dorada).
For several centuries, the church was the home of a Black Madonna, believed to have saved the Saint Michael district of Toulouse from a huge fire on August 18, 1672.
Later, prayers to the Black Madonna were mostly offered for pregnant women, because of a local custom where people placed a garment from the statue on the beds of women close to their term, for a happy delivery. But during the French Revolution, Our Lady’s garments disappeared. The Madonna’s clothes were replaced by belts left for some time on the miraculous statue. Future mothers wore them before giving birth, praying to the Virgin Mary to intercede for them.
Our Lady of the Dorada thus received the title of Our Lady of Deliverance. It was under her patronage that the tradition of wearing the blessed belt appeared. To receive and to wear it meant both to put oneself under the protection of the Mother of Christ and to share in her dignity as servant of the Lord.
Even today, the protection of the Black Madonna is solicited by future mothers. The parish priest of the Dorada blesses these “belts of the Black Madonna” that are sent everywhere, sometimes even to foreign countries, at the request of pregnant women or couples praying for a child. These words are written on the belt: “Receive and wear this blessed belt with confidence as a sign of my maternal protection and as a pledge of a happy deliverance.” You can request one of these belts by emailing them at their website.
Finding Our Lady of the Dorada Basilica in Toulouse:
Address: 1 Place de la Daurade, 31000 Toulouse, France
Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor
⇐ Back to Catholic shrines & places of interest in Toulouse