✝️ Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay
France
About This Sacred Site
The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay is one of the great masterpieces of Romanesque art and a crucial waypoint in medieval Christendom. It claims to house the relics of Mary Magdalene, which made it a major pilgrimage destination from the 11th century onward. The church served as a starting point for one of the four main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade from this hilltop in 1146, and Richard the Lionheart and Philip II of France met here before the Third Crusade.
Key Facts
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979
- •Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade here in 1146
- •The tympanum of the narthex depicts Christ sending the apostles to evangelize the world
- •It is one of four starting points for the Camino de Santiago in France
- •Viollet-le-Duc restored the basilica in the 19th century, saving it from ruin
Location
Coordinates: 47.4662, 3.7476
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