Lourdes - Massabielle Cave Grotte de Massabielle
In Lourdes, on each side of the Esplanade du Rosaire a ramp leads up to the neo- Gothic Upper Basilica (Basilique Supérieure), built in 1864-1871 (consecrated 1876) on the summit of the crag containing the cave of Massabielle. It has a 70 m/230ft high tower. In the interior are innumerable ex-votos. Under the church is a large crypt. Under the Upper Basilica, to the north, is the Grotte de Massabielle, a cave measuring 12 m/40ft by 10 m/33ft.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
Massabielle Cave
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In the niche marking the spot where the Virgin appeared to Bernadette is a marble figure of the Virgin by the Lyons sculptor Fabisch (1863), based on Bernadette's description of her.
From the Basilica a Way of the Cross leads up to a Calvary, with 14 fine bronze figures.
From the Basilica a Way of the Cross leads up to a Calvary, with 14 fine bronze figures.
