Photo : Jan Hager / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes grew up around the Massabielle grotto, where Bernadette Soubirous reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. The Catholic Church recognised them in 1862, which led to the construction of several religious buildings on the site.
The estate includes notably the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, built from 1866 to 1871 just above the grotto, the Rosary Basilica, in Romano-Byzantine style, built from 1883 to 1901, and the underground Basilica of Saint Pius X, built from 1956 to 1958 and 191 metres long. The church of Saint Bernadette, completed in 1988, stands on the right bank of the river. The estate covers about 52 hectares and also includes esplanades for processions, fountains, pools and two Stations of the Cross.
The grotto remains the spiritual heart of the place. The sanctuary welcomed about 3.5 million visitors in 2019, with up to 20,000 pilgrims a day in the pilgrimage period, from April to October. To date, the Church recognises 70 healings as miraculous.
