Rocamadour

Rocamadour clings to the rock face high above the tiny river Alzou in the Lot, SW France.

The town is built on 7 levels, with flights of steps ascending from the lower town to the sanctuaries half-way up the cliff. At the summit stands the chateau.

The 15th century church of Notre Dame houses the wooden Black Madonna statue which is reputed to have been carved by St Amadour himself - said to be the biblical Zacheus. In the cliff face high above the doorway of the sanctuary is a huge sword said to be a fragment of Durandal, the sword of the hero Roland.

This is a major site of the black madonna and staging point for pilgrims following the Way of St James - le Chemin St Jacques to the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostella in northern Spain.

Notre Dame de Rocamadour is renowned for freeing captives, as are the black madonnas at Mauriac and Orcival. She also promotes fertility.

A model boat which hangs in her sanctuary is a votive offering testifying to the safe deliverance of mariners who invoke her in times of trouble at sea. A bell which hangs in the roof of the sanctuary rings miraculously to calm storms when she is invoked by mariners who are in danger. Below the bell there is a plaque listing the dates of the occasions when this has happened. One ship is said to have thus been miraculously carried to Santiago de Compostella.

For more about Rocamadour get the CD ROM 'Rocamadour: Interactive virtual visit'

It is September, and we are in Rocamadour for the Pilgrimage of the Black Madonna. The Pilgrimage will process from La Chapelle de l'Hôpital, which dominates the plateau above the town, to La Chapelle de Notre-Dame which nestles beside L'Eglise St. Sauveur, within the sacred cité itself.

La Chapelle stands silent on this September afternoon, but its tranquility belies the activity soon to come.

As dusk falls the very stones buzz with expectation, colour and excited chatter... for as night descends the ancient and much revered Vierge Noire will be carried through the narrow streets of Rocamadour, this mystical French town. As the light fades, the flock of pilgrims gathered in the square before the chapel swells.

Candles wrapped in parchment cones are distributed, and gradually the darkness becomes overwhelmed by the glow of these as they illuminate the faces of the gathered crowd. Suddenly, from the Chapel doorway La Vierge Noire appears, carried shoulder-high by four bearers clad in white robes. The priest blesses us, and we are ready to proceed.

Emerging into the narrow lane, La Voie Sainte, we sing as we begin the long walk to L'Eglise St. Sauveur.

The procession, a quarter of a mile or so in length, resembles a gliding serpent illuminated by the candles in the darkness.The mass of people halt at the stone cross, just above the town, and a chant is sung before we proceed once more. As we enter the walled town through La Porte Figuier the candlelight illuminates the ancient stone of the buildings which line each side of La rue Couronnerie.

We slowly make our way along the narrow street, passing through La Porte Salmon, until we reach the bottom of the stone staircase, L'escalier des Pélerins. Here we begin the long climb to the holy cité and La Chapelle de Notre-Dame.

The Pilgrims of past times climbed these steps on their knees, one of the major stages of the pilgrimage, before entering the sanctuaries above. Many more now join the throng as we leave the town and begin to climb. After climbing many steps we arrive at La place des Senhals, the centuries-old commercial centre where, since time immemorial, sportelles - the traditional badges of pilgrims - have been made and sold.

Here we halt a moment before ascending the next flight of steps, beneath the great archway, which will take us to Le Parvis de L'Eglise St. Sauveur. As we pass through the arched doorway we see that our way is here lit by hundreds of small candles placed on either side of each of the steps. From Le parvis de L'Eglise St. Sauveur we then climb the few remaining steps to Le Parvis de Notre-Dame, and finally enter La Chapelle de Notre-Dame, hot from the many candles that have been lit by pilgrims earlier in the day.

As Our Lady is placed in her special place high above the alter a hush falls. Our Lady greets her pilgrims. After singing les Floralies de Notre Dame de Rocamadour we each say our own private prayer and slowly leave this very special place.

We have been in the presence of wonder tonight, on the edge of another world, moving with the 'stars' of a thousand candles and the gleam of a thousand eyes