Le Puy-en-Velay

Since the early (even pre-Christian) times Le Puy has been a centre of pilgrimage. Le Puy was a centre of the cult of Our Lady, already Charlemagne made the pilgrimage to Le Puy twice.

In medieval times Le Puy has been a point, where pilgrims met, to follow the "Via Podensis" to Santiago de Compostella (-> 1600 km). It still is! I past through here in 2008 on my way from Geneva. The stretch between Le Puy and Conques was (for me!) an impressing walk. Crossing the Aubrac is breathtaking!

Inside the Cathedral Notre-Dame is a statue of a Black Virgin, but that is a copy. The miraculous original Black Virgin, given to the cathedral by Louis IX (Saint-Louis) on his return from Egypt (7th crusade). The statue was burnt by furious revolutionists just outside the cathedral.

Seen on top of the Rocher Corneille is the huge "Notre-Dame de France". It was made from 213 Russian cannons taken in the "Siege of Sevastopol" (1854–1855). This statue was probably a kind of "sorry" after the years of the Revolution


Seen to the right is the 12th centry chapel "Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe" ("Saint Michel on the Needle").