Touring the Exterior:
Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica

Designing the exterior of the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory was the job of French-born Emile Ulrich, a nationally known expert on ecclesiastical architecture. A graduate of the Academy of Paris, Ulrich came to the U.S. in 1894, and later opened an architectural firm in Cleveland. His commitment to the shrine and to Father Baker was so complete that Ulrich halted all other work to focus on the OLV Basilica. He personally inspected artists' work both in the U.S. and Europe in order to fulfill Father Baker's wish for the finest materials and workmanship -- at a reasonable cost.

The exterior of the shrine is constructed almost entirely of pure white marble, originally from the Georgia Marble Co. of Tate, Ga. All told, however, a combination of more than 40 different types, colors, and designs of Italian marble can be found throughout the Basilica's interior and exterior.

Some points of interest:

1.) Twin Colonnades and the Unsuspecting Subject.
At the Basilica's entrance, two large colonnades extend outward and flank the exterior sides of the shrine. Topping each is a marble sculpture of a group of children overseen by a large angel. On the left colonnade (when facing the Basilica's front), the children are led by a nun. This figure represents the Sisters of St. Joseph, the order which has staffed the OLV Institutions since 1856. But it is the right colonnade which carries with it an interesting story.

As the construction on the Basilica was nearly completed, Father Baker noted a "secret project" being conducted by his assistants and Mr. Ulrich, the architect. For weeks, the group had been quietly meeting to discuss the right colonnade, which was scheduled to include a figure of one of the Brothers of the Holy Infancy. Finally, after the statute was completed and placed atop the colonnade, Father Baker was incensed with what he saw -- himself! Ordered and sculpted completely without his knowledge, the statue of the humble priest among the children embarassed and upset Father Baker immensely. After much (heated) debate, he relented, and the statue remained.

 

2.) A Tale of Two Towers
When the Basilica was completed in 1926, its twin towers rose into the sky at an impressive height of 165 feet (more than 16 stories). The original spires were made completely of marble and had an open design. However, in 1941, a freak and violent lightning storm caused major damage to both the towers, forcing them to have to be redesigned and refurbished.

The new towers (the ones that can be seen today) feature a design which mirrors the Basilica's Great Dome, topping the twin structures with copper domes of their own. Both are enclosed and are much shorter than the original towers (see the diagram to the right).

 

 

3.) The Main Entrance
At the main entrance to the Basilica can be found a piece that can be called no less than impressive. A domed niche houses the 12-foot-tall, 16,000 pound (that's eight tons), statue of Our Lady of Victory. Crafted of the finest carerra marble available, the work was left as a fitting symbol of all the artists' efforts and their complete dedication to the Basilica and its bespectacled creator, Father Baker.

 

 

4.) The Great Dome & Its Angels
But perhaps the most prominent feature of the Basilica's exterior is the huge copper dome. Measuring in at 165-feet in height, the dome, at the time of its completion, was second in size only to the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. And although the copper dome we see today has turned green over the years (just like the Statue of Liberty), one can just imagine the dazzling view it offered shortly after completion!

On the dome, four copper winged angels -- each 18 feet tall -- sound their trumpets in the compass' four directions (North, South , West , East). The photo below (at right) shows, to scale, the impressive size of each angel. Note the two men standing to the left of the statue.