Basilica of Our Lady of Peace


The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire. The basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 with different cost estimates given by various groups. Some stated that it cost US$175 million, US$300 million, or US$400 million, ranging as high as US$600 million. The designs of the dome and encircled plaza are clearly inspired by the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, although it is not an outright replica. The cornerstone was laid on 10 August 1985, and it was consecrated on 10 September 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who had just formally accepted the basilica as a gift from Félix Houphouët-Boigny on behalf of the Catholic Church.
The basilica is not to be confused with a cathedral. Our Lady of Peace is located in the Diocese of Yamoussoukro; the Cathedral of Saint Augustine — less than away — is smaller in size than the basilica but the principal place of worship and seat of the bishop of the diocese.
Guinness World Records lists it as the largest church in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, St. Peter's Basilica, upon completion. It has an area of and is high. However, it also includes a rectory and a villa, which are not strictly part of the church. It can accommodate 18,000 worshippers, compared to 60,000 for St. Peter's. Ordinary services conducted at the basilica are usually attended by only a few hundred people.
The basilica is administered by Polish Pallottines at a cost of US$1.5 million annually.

Architecture

While designing it after the Vatican Basilica, Lebanese architect Pierre Fakhoury constructed the dome to be slightly lower than the Basilica of Saint Peter, but ornamented with a larger cross on top. The finished height is. The dome is more than twice the diameter of St. Peter's in Rome, 90 metres versus 41 metres. The base of the dome is much lower than St. Peter's, so the overall height is slightly less. The basilica is constructed with marble imported from Italy and is furnished with of contemporary stained glass from France..
Columns are plentiful throughout the basilica but are not uniform in style; the smaller columns are there for structural reasons, while the bigger ones are decorative and contain elevators, rainwater evacuation from the roof and other building mechanical devices. There is enough space to seat 7,000 people in the nave, with standing room for an additional 11,000 people. Apart from the basilica are two identical villas. One of the villas accommodates the clergymen who operate the basilica. A room in the other villa is reserved for papal visits, of which only one has occurred: when the basilica was consecrated.
The wood chosen for the 7000 pews in the Our Lady of Peace Basilica is Iroko wood.

Construction

The Basilica was built by Dumez, the French construction company.
The cost of the basilica was met with some controversy globally when construction began, especially as the Côte d'Ivoire was going through an economic and fiscal crisis at the time. Pope John Paul II agreed to consecrate the basilica on the condition that a hospital also be built nearby. This hospital, whose construction was frozen during the politico-military crisis from 2002 to 2011, was finally completed in 2014 and opened in January 2015, at a cost of €21.3 million.
It was claimed that the final cost of the Basilica doubled Côte d'Ivoire's national debt, but this actually isn't found in the underlying data.

Memorial

Côte d'Ivoire President Houphouët-Boigny chose his birthplace of Yamoussoukro to be the future site of the new capital city of his country in 1983. As part of the plan of the city, the president wanted to memorialize himself with the construction of what he called the greatest church in the world. He is even pictured beside Jesus in one stained-glass panel ascending to heaven. Due to the location of the Basilica, it was dubbed by the media as "Basilica in the Bush". Houphouët-Boigny believed it would become a pilgrimage site for African Catholics.