Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière

The Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière dominates the skyline of Lyon from its position atop the Fourvière hill. You can identify the structure by its four octagonal towers and the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary perched on its bell tower. Built between eighteen seventy-two and eighteen eighty-four, the basilica stands as a votive offering, commissioned by the citizens of Lyon to thank the Virgin Mary for sparing their city from the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian War.