"La Petite Chapelle"
In 1403, while workers were restoring the city walls, a spring of pure water suddenly gushed forth from the sand. Nearby, they discovered a small wooden statue, 32 cm tall, depicting the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus. This work may have been carved by a fisherman, using a knife, to decorate the prow of his boat, before being lost in a storm.
The statue was first named Our Lady of the Fountain, then Our Lady of the Dunes. A chapel was then built, long isolated within the Vauban ramparts. During the French Revolution, it was converted into a munitions workshop, before exploding in 1793. Left in ruins, it was finally rebuilt in 1815 thanks to a public subscription.
A place of veneration dear to the people of Dunkirk, the chapel today houses numerous votive offerings left by sailors as a token of gratitude. Its stained glass windows, made from 1953 onwards based on the drawings of Abbé Pruvost, priest and artist, retrace the history of the site.
The statue was first named Our Lady of the Fountain, then Our Lady of the Dunes. A chapel was then built, long isolated within the Vauban ramparts. During the French Revolution, it was converted into a munitions workshop, before exploding in 1793. Left in ruins, it was finally rebuilt in 1815 thanks to a public subscription.
A place of veneration dear to the people of Dunkirk, the chapel today houses numerous votive offerings left by sailors as a token of gratitude. Its stained glass windows, made from 1953 onwards based on the drawings of Abbé Pruvost, priest and artist, retrace the history of the site.