Rocamadour Church
Rocamadour Information and Photographs
Rocamadour is a great place to visit and though quite a way from Rennes-le-Chateau it is worth the drive. The Stations of the Cross in Rocamadour have been said to be the same as the Stations in sauniere's Mary magdalene church at rennes-le-Chateau. For a comparison of the Stations CLICK HERE.
View from half way up of the medieval town of Rocamadour.
The best way to see Rocamadour, if you don't fancy walking up the many steps, is to follow the signs for the Chateau and park in the large car park there. from here you can walk down and then catch the lift and then the underground tram back up to the top. There is very little parking in the actual village.
Behind me where I stood to take this photograph is the lift down to the next level and the tram up to the top.
For pilgrims, Rocamadour's importance lies with the Shrine of Our Lady of Rocamadour, a complex of religious structures centred on a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary and the tomb of an ancient saint.
Tourists come to Rocamadour for its religious interest, historical significance, beautiful architecture, and most of all, for the spectacular views: Rocamadour is situated atop a rocky plateau overlooking the Alzou Valley.
According to legend, Rocamadour was the home of an early Christian hermit named Zaccheus of Jericho. It is believed that he died in about 70 AD and had conversed with Jesus himself. According to some accounts, this Zaccheus was the husband of St. Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus as he climbed to Calvary.
At some point after the hermit's death and burial in Rocamadour, the site became a place of pilgrimage. Some claim the town was named for the hermit, a "lover of rock" (roc amator).
Zaccheus is said to have brought with him to Rocamadour a statue of the Black Virgin, though the statue is generally dated to the 9th century. Due to the double attraction of the tomb of Zaccheus and the statue of the Virgin, pilgrims began to flock to Rocamadour. Many reported experiencing miraculous healings and conversions at the shrine.
Then, as today, 216 steps lead to the top of the rocky plateau on which the Chapel of Our Lady is located. As an act of penance, pilgrims would regularly make the entire climb on their knees, and some still do today.
The shrine eventually became so famous that kings and bishops began granting special privileges to those who made the pilgrimage.
Many notable people visited Rocamadour over the years, including St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Louis, King Louis XI, and possibly even Charlemagne, on his way to battle the Moors in Spain.
In the 11th century, Benedictine monks took over the little Chapel of Our Lady of Rocamadour.
A major event occurred in 1166, when an ancient grave and sepulcher containing an undecayed body was discovered in the cliff of Rocamadour, near the Chapel of Our Lady. This was believed to be the early Christian hermit St. Amadour, who is often equated with Zaccheus.
Over the next few centuries, the numbers of pilgrims continued to increase. The town suffered with the general decline of pilgrimages in the 17th and 18th centuries, but it was heavily restored and revitalized in the 19th century. Today, the site receives thousands of devout pilgrims each year.
One recent notable pilgrim to Rocamadour was the French composer Francis Poulenc, who stayed in the city after a religious conversion he experienced here, and in honor of which he composed his Litanies à la Vierge Noire (Litanies of the Black Virgin).
Then, as today, 216 steps lead to the top of the rocky plateau on which the Chapel of Our Lady is located. As an act of penance, pilgrims would regularly make the entire climb on their knees, and some still do today. Even today, devout pilgrims make the climb on their knees in penance. Something I wouldn't recommend you try.
Rocamadour's Cité Religieuse, a cluster of chapels and churches, is the town's religious centerpiece, visited both by casual tourists and devoted pilgrims. The sacred site is accessible from the town on the Grand Escalier, a stairway of 216 weathered steps.
For visitors averse to stairs, there is also an elevator from the lower town (Basse Ville). At the top of the stairs or elevator, there is a charming pedestrian precinct with plenty of souvenir shops, a château that once protected the sanctuary, and seven chapels.
Along the way are 14 Stations of the Cross culminating in the Cross of Jerusalem at the top.
This is the path you walk to view the stations of the Cross which are situated at intervals on the winding walkway. One of the stone buildings housing a Station can just be seen towards the middle top of the photograph. Click HERE for more on the Rocamadour Stations of the Cross.
Getting there:
| Address: | Place St-Amadour, Rocamadour, France (110 miles N of Toulouse) |
| Phone: | 05-65-33-23-23 |
| Hours: | Daily 9am-7pm |
| Cost: | Chapels are free; donations suggested for tours. |
| Tours: | Schedules of tours change frequently, based on saints' holidays and local church schedules. Times of tours (3-5 per day, depending on the season) are prominently posted at the entrance. (More information here). |
| By train: | From Paris Austerlitz station, trains depart regularly in the direction of Toulouse. At Brive-la-Gaillarde, change trains for Rocamadour. |
| By road: | From Toulouse, go north on N20 to Payrac and turn right onto D673 for Rocamadour (20 miles). |
Links:
Notre-Dame de Rocamadour - Official site of pilgrimages (French only)
Rocamadour - Catholic Encyclopedia (1912)
Rocamadour Hotel Reviews - Trip Advisor
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/rocamadour-shrine-of-our-lady-of-rocamadour.htm - (where much of the info on this page came from.)