Vénérer l'image miraculeuse, consoler l'image martyre Pratiques de dévotion autour de Notre-Dame de la Colombe (1635-1648)

Through the history of the statue of Notre-Dame de la Colombe, which was the victim of iconoclasts in 1635, we discover the extent to which Miraculous Virgins were thought of and seen by the faithful as performing "agents ". This miraculous statue indeed gathered people of varied origins, despite being in the heart of a society in the southern Netherlands in the 17^th century that was ordered to the extreme. This paper studies the cultural habits of different participants (Premonstratensians in Brabant, Discalced Carmelites in Namur, parish priests, lay parishioners, noble ladies). It underlines how the image was elevated to martyrdom after being abused by Calvinists, who assumed the role of persecutors. It finally shows how the image of Notre-Dame de la Colombe ended up replacing its prototype.