Lourdes, South West France – A Pyrenean place of miracles
The rather special little town of Lourdes has been widely cited as being a ‘sanctuary’ village and the gateway to 12 Pyrenees resorts. This delightful Pyrenees’ village tastefully combines a rich cultural heritage with a tourist development that has been designed to respect the environment.
Lourdes has an everyday population of about 15,000. The town’s numbers do however swell dramatically over the course of the year, as pilgrims enter the town, some seeking to repent their sins, others simply to tick off the box of another holy place visited.
It is at Easter when the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes begins, and over the next seven months, up to five million visitors will flock to the town. Lourdes is used as a starting point for the great pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostilla in Galacia Spain. All in all, upwards of five million people can visit Lourdes in a year. This intense influx of tourists means that the only place in France that has a greater density of hotels is Paris.
In 1858 a fourteen year old French girl called Bernadette Soubirous claimed that she was visited by a beautiful woman who told the young Bernadette that she was the result of the Immaculate Conception. The woman is said to have appeared before Miss Soubirous a total of eighteen times.
The faithful believed that the woman was the Blessed Virgin Mary and ever since the crowds have been pouring into Lourdes in ever increasing numbers on a holy pilgrimage. Many of the pilgrims are seeking a cure for some ailment. In fact there have been a total of 68 cures or miracles taken place at Lourdes that have been recognised by the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2008, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an outdoor mass was held in Lourdes. This incredible religious event was attended by 45,000 pilgrims on a cold February day. Special indulgencies on that day were authorised by Pope Benedict.
Pope John Paul has visited the shrine at Lourdes twice and has said that what happened at Lourdes is strongly believed by the Catholic Church.
Whether it offers you a glimmer of hope, a cultural eye-opener or simply a peaceful environment to gather your thoughts within the most stunning of surroundings, the attraction of Lourdes hardly needs to be explained.
You might be interested in Vintage Travel’s portfolio of luxury villas in South West France, just click on the link.