Virgin of Werpin
The Virgin of Werpin (French: La Vierge de Werpin) is a 11.4 m (37 ft) tall statue of the Virgin Mary in Werpin, Hotton municipality in Belgium. The statue itself is 7 m (23 ft) tall, leaving a pedestal of 3.4 m (11 ft). In front of the statue stand a small pray house. The statue was founded after an epidemic that hit village. The funds were raised by the local father Janus, who lead the operation. The statue was designed by Louis Hoyoux and Auguste Fabert. The statue was inaugurated on 2 September 1931 by the Bishop of Namur, Monsignor Thomas Louis Heylen, and father Janus in the presence of 10,000 pilgrims.[1]
It is said that the statue has always protected the village and its inhabitants. During the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War, the Germans were in the nearby forest and were shooting at the village of Hampteau, 1.5 km (1 mi) from Werpin, where the Americans were based. Everyone survived the attack because they hid themselves behind the Virgin of Werpin.[2]
The statue has nothing to do with the local col Côte de la Vierge de Werpin in Hotton. This col 2.4 km (1 mi) long col runs from the Rue des Écoles in Hotton to the top of the hill, where 155 m (170 yd) of height is bypassed with a maximum climb rate of 6,7 %.[3]
References
- ↑ (French) Gite Werpin, consulted 4 April 2013
- ↑ (Dutch) Dutch Wikipedia, Werpin, consulted 4 April 2013
- ↑ (Dutch) Climb by Bike, consulted 4 April 2013