Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This is where the miraculously preserved body of St. Amadour was found in 1166.
Places of pilgrimage do better with multiple miracles, so, along with its Black Virgin and
of Roland.
The rusty sword of Charlemagne's nephew sticks in the cliffside, above
Amadour's tomb (to the right, about where the church roof meets the cliff). According to
medieval sources, Roland was about to die in battle, but the great warrior didn't want his
sword to fall into enemy hands. He hurled it from the far south of France, and it landed
here—stuck miraculously into the Rocamadour cliffs just above the Black Virgin. (The
sword is clearly from the 18th century, but never mind.)
St. Michael's Chapel
is built around the original cave to your left (open only to pil-
grims, with little to see inside). To your right, the
Chapel of the Virgin
(Chapelle Notre-
Dame) is the focal point for pilgrims. Step inside. Sitting above the altar is the much-ven-
erated Black Virgin, a 12th-century statue (covered with a thin plating of blackened sil-
ver—seesidebaron
here
)thatdepictsMarypresentingJesustotheworld.Theoldestthing
inthesanctuary—fromtheninthcentury—isasimplerustedbellhangingfromtheceiling.
The suspended sailboat models are areminder that sailors relied onMaryforsafe passage.
Theadjacent
Church of St. Saveur
isthesanctuary'smainplaceofworship.Acopy
of the Black Virgin is displayed on the rear wall to give visitors a closer look. The rebuilt
wooden balcony overhead was for the monks. Imagine attending a Mass here in centuries
past, when pilgrims filled the church and monks lined the balconies. While Rocamadour's
church seems more like a tourist attraction, it remains a sacred place of worship. A sign
remindstourists“toadmire,tocontemplate,topray.You'rewelcometorespectfullyvisit.”
A bulletin board on the wall usually displays fliers for pilgrimages to Lourdes or Santiago
deCompostela.Rocamadourhasbeenbothakeydestinationandstagingpointforpilgrims
for centuries.
• From here you can walk under the Church of St. Saveur and find the Way of the Cross
(Chemin de la Croix) and elevators up
(Château par ascenseur)
or down
(La Cité par as-
censeur).
Near Rocamadour
▲
Gouffre de Padirac
Twenty minutes from Rocamadour is the huge sinkhole of Padirac, with its underground
river and miles of stalagmites and stalactites (but no cave art). Though it's an impressive
cave,ifyou'veseencavesalready,it'sslowincomparison,withaninsufficientpayoff(lots
of climbing and not much English). But the mechanics of the visit are easy, and there's
not much to communicate anyway. Here's the drill: After paying, hike the stairs (with big
views of the sinkhole—a round shaft about 100 yards wide and deep), or ride the elevator
