Rocamadour – France

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Rocamadour is a historic shrine perched on a clifftop. The town was one of the most famous centres of pilgrimage following the discovery in 1166 of an ancient grave and sepulchre which contained an undecayed body said to be that of the Christian hermit St. Amadour. The hermit was nicknamed “roc armator” (lover of rock) and the town took its name from him.

Rocamadour is laid out on four levels. There is a grand stairway from the town to the first level and pilgrims would climb the broad flight of 216 steps on their knees, saying their rosaries along the way. On the next level up are the main pilgrim chapels. Well, if you really don’t fancy climbing up the cliff on your knees , there are two sets of lifts that take you to the top. These are privately owned by two families. The first lift takes you from the town level to the shrines and then you connect with the second lift which takes you to the castle. It is well worth taking these lifts up so that you can have more time on the upper levels, and then walk back down.

We thoroughly recommend going up to the chateau as the views from up there are spectacular. You’ll need a two euro coin to pass through the old automatic turnstile to get access to the chateau’s ramparts. From the castle you can then step down to the mid-level where a complex of chapels can be found.

Rocamadour is a city devoted to the Virgin Mary and in the Chapel of Notre Dame you will find a statue of the Black Virgin. We then walked in the opposite direction of the pilgrims, making our way downhill past the Cross of Jerusalem and the 14 stations marking Jesus’ journey. Although we didn’t do it tough like the pilgrims, we nevertheless felt a sense of accomplishment having managed to race downhill in good time to get to our departure point.

Rocamadour town itself is a tourist precinct and the main street is lined with souvenir and food shops. Unlike the days of the pilgrims, this little town now has its own petit train for those who don’t fancy too much walking even at ground level.

Did you know that Rocamadour is also the name given to a small goat’s milk cheese that was awarded AOC status in 1996?

Helen

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