Overlooking the Place du Marché, a stone sculpture of the Virgin and Child has watched over Verviers since the 17th century. Known as Notre-Dame des Récollets, it originally adorned the façade of the church of the Récollets convent, depicting the Virgin Mary standing with the Christ Child on a pedestal at her side.
The fame of this statue began with a tragedy. On September 18, 1692, the most violent earthquake in the history of Belgium struck the region. It caused damage from Cologne to Canterbury, and was felt as far away as Paris and Amsterdam. Though Verviers escaped with little damage, its terrified residents rushed to the church for prayer. When they arrived, they noticed something miraculous: the statue of the Virgin and Child on the façade appeared to have changed position. Initially, they faced forward, but following the earthquake, they were said to have turned toward one another and joined their hands. This change was called the “Miracle of Notre Dame” by the locals, who interpreted it as a sign of protection.
Soon, there were reports of the first miracles attributed to the statue. As a result, a canonical investigation was ordered, and hundreds of people testified under oath that the change had in fact taken place. In the face of such a large number of testimonies, the event was officially recognized as miraculous.
To accommodate the influx of pilgrims, a two-aisled chapel was added to the front of the church in 1700, and the statue was moved indoors. The fire that swept through the church in 1810 did not affect the chapel, allowing its impressive Baroque décor to survive intact. The present bell tower was later added to the façade between 1892 and 1893 with a copy of the Virgin and Child in their original position.
Today, visitors can see the copy on the church’s exterior, while the original statue remains protected inside the chapel.