Day-Trip to Vezelay from
Paris - 222 km South of Paris
In the 11th and the 12 centuries one
of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian World,
Vezelay today is a somewhat isolated, picturesque "plus beau
village de france" set on a peak. Its one main street, rue
Saint-Etienne, climbs steeply to the summit and its medieval basilica,
world famous for its Romanesque sculpture. In summer you have to leave
your car at the bottom and walk-up. Off-season you can drive up and
look for a spot to park in the square. The celebrated Basilique
Ste-Madeleine was one of the focal points of
Christendom. Pilgrims poured in to see the relics of St.Mary Magdalene
in the crypt before setting off on the great trek to the shrine of St
James at santiago de Compostela, in Northwest spain. Several pivotal
church declarations of the Middle Ages were made from here. By the mid
13th century the authenticity of St Mary's relics was in doubt, others
had been discovered in Provence. The Basilica's decline continued until
the french revolution, when the basilica and adjoining monastery
buildings were sold by the state. Only the basilica, cloister and
dormitory escaped demolition, and were falling into ruin when ace
restorer Viollet-le-Duc, sent by his mentor Prosper
Mérimée, rode to the rescue in 1840. Today the basilica,
under the patrimony of UNESCO since 1979, has recaptured some of his
glory and is considered to be one of France's most prestigious
Romanesque showcases.