Description:

On first site, Lourdes could be any other town in the foothills of the Pyrenees, until you reach the western side on the banks of the Gave de Pau River.  Here is where the Domaine of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is situated.

 

On February 11^th 1858, a 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous was collecting wood for her family near to the Grotte de Massabielle when she saw a vision of a woman.  The vision spoke to her in Bigoudan, a local dialect and commanded that Bernadette should return to the Grotto often. 

 

On her eighteenth visit, the vision revealed herself to be the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin Mary.  The vision commanded Bernadette to dig near to the Grotte with her hands and her digging soon exposed a spring. 

 

The visions were initially treated with scepticism by both Bernadettes family and the church, but in 1862 the visions were authenticated by the Church and eleven years later the first pilgrimage took place.  By 1866, Bernadette had been put into a Convent apparently for her own health, but many believe the church did this to stop her from refuting the story.  She died thirteen years later having never left the convent.

 

The spring is believed to have curing powers and to date 67 miraculous cures have been authenticated by the Roman Catholic Church.  Many disabled and sick pilgrims come to the town in the hope of receiving a cure, many in wheelchairs pushed by volunteers.

 

The Basilique du Rosaire was built above the Grotte de Massabielle between 1871 and 1883 in a extravagant Byzantine and Gothic style.  This soon became too small for the ever growing number of pilgrims and the Basilique Saint Pie X was built to accommodate 20,000 people.  For even larger religious events, there is the Prairie across the River from the Grotte.  In total, the Domain covers an area of 51 hectares with 22 places of worship.

 

The Grotte de Massabielle faces the river and is a very small and dark cave.  A statue of the apparition has been erected and pilgrims wander through, mostly in silence, touching the wall.  The area around the Grotte also contains bath-houses for immersing the sick and taps for collecting water from the spring, bottles for which, in any shape or size you can think of, are available in the souvenir shops.

 

More information about the town is available on our Lourdes information page.

The Sanctuary website has more information about pilgrimages, the religious sites and where to find assistance.

 

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