It was another glorious day today & so we set off with the windows open, breathing in the landscape. There were times when we passed through arcades of trees, which was quite magical.
Our destination was Vezelay, a 12th century town with a significant Basilica, set high upon a hilltop. It was here that Richard the Lionheart prayed at the start of the 3rd crusade, & it is here that the bones of Mary Magdalene (known as St Madeleine here) remain as a reliquary & it is also here, that pilgrims on route to Santiago De Compostela started their journey.
To get there, we had to climb up a long, steep & cobbled path. I don't handle climbing very well, so it was a relief to see little snippets of beauty along the way that required me to stop for a few minutes!!
It wasn't a dramatically huge Basilica, given it's significance in Christendom, but it is decorated with some wonderful sculptural features.
Lichen embellished some of the statues & against a backdrop of a brilliantly blue sky, they looked stunning.
On the outside there were saints & angels , intertwined leaves, gargoyles &...a centaur. Not sure WHY there was a centaur, but he was rather magnificent!
Inside this Romanesque Basilica the high ceiling & arches gave such an impression of light, space & majesty. There were sculpted scenes on all of the capitals, which included a variety of beasts.
My favourite included a beast & an angel!!
In the crypt below, we found the alleged remains of Mary Magdalene. In an alcove decorated with patterns, very similar to an Egyptian tomb, a reliquary holds what appears to be bones! It was quite delightful to see a nun in the crypt vacuuming...as one does!
After lunch, we went on a very very old cobbled pathway leading away from the town to the outside of the fortifications. We thought this was possibly the route the pilgrims took as they left the Basilica after receiving a blessing. One thing I have learnt, having walked on a number of very old cobbled pathways in the past few days, is that the modern summer sandal is NOT appropriate footwear. One really needs to invest in army boots for this sort of terrain!!
Through one of the arched gates, we glanced back up into the town one more time before heading back to the car.
It was a very special place to visit & we were very grateful for the sunny weather.
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