Basilica of Saint-Ferjeux

The Basilica of St. Ferjeux is an eclectic Roman-Zyzantine-style basilica situated in Besançon, in the quartier of Saint-Ferjeux. It is dedicated to the patron saints of Besançon, Ferreolus and Ferrutio (Ferréol et Ferjeux). It honors both their spiritual lineage (the Apostle Saint John, his disciple Saint Polycarp, and Polycarp's disciple Saint Irenaeus, who sent Saints Ferréol to Sequania) and the great saints who lived in Franche-Comté (Saint Colette, reformer of the Order of the Poor Clares; Saint Jeanne-Antide Touret, founder of the Sisters of Charity). The basilica has been listed as a historic monument since October 27, 2006.

Towards the end of the 2nd century, Bishop Saint Iraneus of Lyon, a disciple of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna--who was himself a disciple of Apostle John--sent two missionary priests, Saint Ferjeux and his brother Saint Ferréol (originally from Athens, Greece) to found the Catholic Church of Vesontio and evangelize the Gallo-Roman region of Sequania. They settled in a cave near the site of the basilica, from where they carried out their work. After they reportedly attempted to convert the wife of the Roman governor Claudius, he viewed their Christian activities as a source of public unrest. He had them beheaded on June 10, 212. Ferjeux and Ferréol became the patron saints of Besançon and are celebrated together on June 16.

On the very site of the future basilica, an earlier church had stood, likely built around 1657. During the Revolution, it was converted into a hospital. In October 1870, Cardinal Césaire Mathieu invoked the patron saints of the city of Besançon to protect the city from Prussian troops. Since the city had been spared, he made a solemn vow on January 26, 1871 to erect a new building on the site that local tradition recognized as the cave that had sheltered the two saints. In November 1870, an initial design was submitted by the Franche-Comté architect Alfred Ducat, free of charge. Édouard Bérard, a student of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, was commissioned to design the building. However, as this second design proved too costly, Alfred Ducat's design was ultimately chosen. It remained in the spirit of the architecture of the time, including the architectural style of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon, the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, Paris, and the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure in Marseille. Construction began that same year, and the first mass was celebrated in 1892 in the section that had already been built. The crypt was inaugurated in 1895. In 1898, Alfred Ducat died, and his disciple and collaborator, Joseph Simonin, completed the construction. In 1905, the city of Besançon acquired ownership and responsibility for the building. In 1912, the church was officially elevated to the status of a basilica. The umbraculum and tintinnabulum, located on other side of the transept, are emblems reserved for basilicas. On June 21, 1925, it was finally consecrated, fifty-four years after Cardinal Césaire Mathieu’s vow.

The basilica is built in the Roman-Byzantine style, and its front facade is blanked with two imposing towers, which house, respectfully, a barometer on the left and a clock on the right. Beneath the choir, the transept, and part of the nave, lies a crypt accessible via two staircases located on either side. Five chapels are situated around the apse, and murals created by local artists adorn the large arches of the nave. Pierre Pfister was responsible for the decorative program, inspired by his archeological research in the Roman catacombs. The dome is adorned with mosaics created by Ulysse Camille Drupt (1876-1968), a series of stained-glass windows createdcrafted by the Gaudin workshop, and sculptures by Just Becquet. The dome's drum rests on four pendentives, each depicti

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