Documents from the period indicate that the early Christian church contained a celebrated image of the Virgin Mary and child, made of ebony, according to some sources, The statue was dressed in gowns made of gold and other precious fabrics. The cult of the so-called Black Madonna was found in many other French churches of the time, and helped attract pilgrims. The original statue was destroyed in 1794 during the French Revolution, but many illustrations of it still exist. It was replaced in the 19th century by a new statue, now on the altar.