NOTRE-DAME DU PUY CATHEDRAL

In the heart of Le Puy-en-Velay, this major site in the département is an essential place of peace and contemplation, even for non-believers. Notre-Dame du Puy Cathedral dates back to the ^10th century. But the influx of pilgrims who came to adore the Virgin Mary necessitated several extensions and improvements over the centuries. The church is built in Romanesque style, although it dates back to the Gothic period. The combination of Oriental, Spanish and Italian inspirations is part of its uniqueness. Byzantine influences can be seen in the mosaics on the arcades and in some of the frescoes. The choir rests directly on the rock. In the ^11th and ^12th centuries, four additional bays were boldly built into the void, to make up for a 17 m difference in level, which represents two-thirds of the building. A real architectural feat for its time! Numerous alterations and restorations were carried out over the centuries. The building has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. But before you reach the building, you'll have to climb a 134-step staircase. Called the "belly" staircase, it leads up to the church's altar, where visitors enter through the cathedral's navel, its center. As for the interior, the Black Madonna actually dates back to the ^17th century, the original having been given by Saint Louis and burnt by the revolutionaries. At the time, it was a cedar sculpture, dressed in oriental style. She held the infant Jesus on her lap, both with black faces but white hands. There is an engraving of this Virgin dating from 1778. And don't miss the Pierre des Fièvres. This volcanic table is said to have witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Gallo-Roman times. It is also said to have healing powers, and it was for this stone that the first sanctuary on the site was built in the^5th century. Today, pilgrims lie on this stone in the hope of leaving their suffering to her. It's also worth noting that the cathedral is historically a staging post on the via Podensis, one of the four major routes to the Spanish shrine of Santiago de Compostela. Relaunched in 1990, the section (signposted as a GR) leading from Le Puy-en-Velay to the Domaine du Sauvage in Haute-Loire passes through the Velay mountains and part of the Margeride.