Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Rocamadour

Since my first visit, Rocamadour is one of my favourite places. In 2009, when I followed the Via Podensis, I took a detour, to reach Rocamadour by foot, like so many pilgrims since medieval times. Rocamadour attracted pilgrims over centuries and hass a legend, similar to that of Santiago de Compostella . Here in 1166 the grave of St. Veronica´s husband Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19) was found. He had moved from Jerusalem to this place in Gaul / France in his older age and lived here as a hermit under the name of Amadour. The medieval pilgrims climbed up the 216 steps to the sanctuary, a cluster of churches and chapels, on their knees. Here is "Notre Dame de Rocamadour" (aka "La Vierge Noire", "Black Madonna of Rocamadour", "Our Lady of Rocamadour"..). Near the chapel they could see a sword sticking in the cliff. The legend told, that this was the magical sword Durendal. Durandal manufactured by Wayland the Smith (aka "Völund") and given to Charlemagne by an angel. Charles endowed the sword to his palladin Roland (aka Errolan, Roldán, Orlando, Rotllà). Roland was killed by Basques near Roncevalles on the return from Spain ("Battle of Roncevaux Pass"). He had battled the Maurs with Charemagne´s armee. To preserve his sword Durendal (containing a tooth of Saint Peter) from heathenly hands, he threw it over a distance of about 400kms to Rocamadour, where it still sticks in the cliff today.... Pilgrims seeing the sword knew the whole "story" from "The Song of Roland" ("Chanson de Roland"), the oldest surviving major work of French literature.

Since my first visit, Rocamadour is one of my favourite places. In 2009, when I followed the Via Podensis, I took a detour, to reach Rocamadour by foot, like so many pilgrims since medieval times. Rocamadour attracted pilgrims over centuries and hass a legend, similar to that of Santiago de Compostella . Here in 1166 the grave of St. Veronica´s husband Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19) was found. He had moved from Jerusalem to this place in Gaul / France in his older age and lived here as a hermit under the name of Amadour. The medieval pilgrims climbed up the 216 steps to the sanctuary, a cluster of churches and chapels, on their knees. Here is "Notre Dame de Rocamadour" (aka "La Vierge Noire", "Black Madonna of Rocamadour", "Our Lady of Rocamadour"..). Henry Plantagenet (aka "Henry II of England") was an early pilgrim here. Legends tell, that the statue was created by Zacchaeus / Amadour, but it was rather within the 10th or 11th century.

Since my first visit, Rocamadour is one of my favourite places. In 2009, when I followed the Via Podensis, I took a detour, to reach Rocamadour by foot, like so many pilgrims since medieval times. Rocamadour attracted pilgrims over centuries and has a legend, similar to that of Santiago de Compostella . Here in 1166 the grave of St. Veronica´s husband Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19) was found. He had moved from Jerusalem to this place in Gaul / France in his older age and lived here as a hermit under the name of Amadour. The best time to "feel" Rocamadour is the evening, when the many day tourists (more than a million per year) are already on their way home and the night falls in.

Bertrand de Griffeuille was a wandering hermit, who over decades of wandering around, founded a number of convents between the Auvergne and the Quercy. In 1145, he founded this convent. 10 years later it had developed into a priory dependent on the Augustinian Abbey in La Couronne (Charente). At that time pilgrims following the Via Podiensis stopped here, but after the body of legendary Saint Amadour had been found by monks (1166), most pilgrims walked via Rocamadour. The priory got fortified - but did suffer during the Hundred Years´ War, when it got sacked. During the Wars of Religion Calvinist troops conquered the place. In 1661 Jesuits settled here, but in 1762 this order got banned and had to move. After the French Revolution the buildings were sold - and since then are private property. Tours are offered over the summer, but I did not have the time to wait..

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once, as the western part of the nave is in ruins. The chapterhouse is the only still existing structure of the convent buildings. Here are still some interesting capitals. The left one has an inscription LITICIA, what is probably Laeticia = Joy. I have no idea, what the person is holding. Moses and the tablets of law? To the right devils torture the poor souls. A "Danse Macabre".

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once, as the western part of the nave is in ruins. So the remaining nave, seen here, is pretty short. As many pilgrims stopped here on their way on the Via Podiensis, the choir has an ambulatory.

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once. The ruined western end of the fomer nave still has some capitals. Two lions. Look like a couple.

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once. The ruined western end of the fomer nave still has some capitals. This may be Daniel in the lion's den.

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once. Seen here is the ruined western end of the fomer nave.

Monks from Moissac, who had fled the Normans, built up the monastery in Marcilhac-sur-Célé in the early 9th century. The abbey gained importance and was pretty wealthy. Even the church of Rocamadour was transferred to the abbey from the Bishop of Cahors. After monks from Tulle had discovered the body of legendary Saint Amadour in Rocamadour in 1166, what triggered a profitable pilgrimage, a lawsuit between Marcilhac and Tulle started. The controversy got finally settled in 1193, when the abbey in Tulle accepted a hefty compensation. The decline started, when English troops sacked and ruined the abbey during the Hundred Years War. Most of what was rebuilt and reconstructed after that got burnt down by Protestants during the Wars of Religion. The abbey did not really recover, but existed upto the French Revolution. The former abbey church meanwhile serves the parish, but is much smaller than it was once. The chapterhouse is the only still existing structure of the convent buildings.

Rignac is a small village, that in medieval times may have served the pilgrims heading to (still) famous Rocamadour (10kms west). The church Saint-Germain, known already since the 12th century, got damaged during the 100 Years War, but got completely reconstructed in the second half of the 15th century. I met a friendly, polyglot lady inside the church, who showed me around. Behind the sacristy, she had laid out a garden, where she had planted many plants, that either are mentioned in the bible or having names, connected to the bible. Merci beaucoup Madame!

... a side tour to one of our favourite places. A place of pilgrimage over hundreds of years, with a legend, similar to that of Santiago de Compostella . Here the grave of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19) was found. He had moved from Jerusalem to this place in Gaul / France in his older age and lived here as a hermit under the name of Amadour. Yes, people did believe that.........

...and after a couple of hours, the valley widened and I saw Rocamadour....