Rocamadour

Geography

Rocamadour is a small village of exception located in the department of the Batch at the northern extrème of the Midday-Pyrenees area. Near to Périgord and the Valley of the Dordogne, Rocamadour is registered in the middle of the Regional natural park of Causses of Querçy.

History

Rocamadour has a very old pilgrimage with the Virgin Mary under the appearance of a black Vierge whose body was formerly covered with money plates, then of a coat, like Notre Dame of the Puy or Notre Dame of Sea-bream with Toulouse. This statue is in one of the vaults in the sanctuaries with peak, on the throats of the Alzou. Of European size as the Book of the miracles of the 12th century attests it, it lost in notoriety after the passage iconoclast of Protestant mercenaries in 1562. Plundered once again under the Révolution, the sanctuaries of Rocamadour were entirely restored at the 19th century, which avoided a complete ruin to them. The final test of this pilgrimage consisted in climbing with knees the 216 steps leading to the religious city (which include/understand 7 church S, and 12 others that the restorations of the 19th century could not raise). Finally arrived inside the sanctuaries after this rise, the pilgrims left in ex-voto various objects. Most known remain irons of condemned released their chains, the boats of saved and grateful sailors, or the marble plates engraved and fixed on the wall of the vault at the 19th century and 20th century.

Much more than the relics of the body of Amadour, the success of the site came from the miracles of the black Vierge whose miraculous bell announced, by its tinkling, the rescue at sea of sailors. This recognition of the world of the sailors was worth in Notre Dame de Rocamadour to be venerated in several vaults as in Finistere or Quebec.

The Church also encouraged this pilgrimage by attribution with perpetuity of plenary indulgences to the people who would receive the sacraments of penitence and the communion with Rocamadour. Most famous are those of great forgiveness, when the Corpus Christi arrives the day of St Jean-Baptiste (June 24th).

Administration

In March 2001, the city was made conspicuous while electing at the municipal council, at the head all candidates, the producer and presenter of television Patrick de Carolis, which has fasteners in the commune, with for intention to make its new mayor of it. However, Patrick de Carolis, who was not candidate with the municipal election, declined which was quoted to him but was city council man during a few years.

Demography

Gastronomy

Rocamadour gave its name to small a Fromage of goat, the rocamadour, AOC since 1996.

Places and monuments

the church parochial offer a mural representation of the Known as of three dead and the three sharp ones: three young gentlemen are challenged in a cemetery by three died, which point out to them the brevity of the life and the importance of the hello of their heart.

Personalities related to the commune

Francis Poulenc lived in Rocamadour its famous conversion with the catholic faith. In 1936, after having learned the death from the type-setter Ferroud Pierre-Octave, it composed on " litanies with the Black Virgin of Rocamadour" whose text was still proposed to the pilgrims at that time.

Patrick de Carolis is familiar of the village. The French realizer Louis Malle also was very attached to Rocamadour during his career.

Some famous pilgrims: Roland de Roncevaux - Charles Beautiful the - Saint Louis - White of Castille - Louis XI - Aliénor of Aquitaine - Henri II Plantagenêt - Jacques Cartier - Sister Emmanuelle

See too

Common of the Batch
Rock-Amadour - historical and archaeological Study, Ernest Toff, 1904
Monograph of the cities and villages of France - Rocamadour - historical and archaeological Study, Ernest Toff, 3rd quarter 2001 (republication)
the BOOK OF the MIRACLES OF NOTRE-DAME OF ROCAMADOUR TO the XIIE CENTURY. Republication presented and annotated by Jean ROCACHER. Preface of Régine PERNOUD. 1996, Toulouse, Pérégrinateur editor.

External bonds

Rocamadour official site of the Tourist office

Rocamadour on the site of the national geographical Institute
Rocamadour on the site of INSEE
Rocamadour on the site of Quid
Localization of Rocamadour on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Rocamadour on Mapquest

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