It is a center of pilgrimage for Christians.
France has long been a secular country. However, most of the days that the French do not go to work, timed to coincide with religious holidays. In addition, the country has numerous religious monuments, which has been a century, attracting pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. One of the most amazing places – centers of pilgrimage for Christians, is the Lourdes.
The city is located in the South-East of France in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here, as in many medieval cities, there’s your castle. By the way, the only secular landmark of the city. Lourdes lived a long time his measured life, until in 1858, not an event happened that shook the whole neighborhood, and at the same time gave impetus to the development of tourism in the region. Until the end of XIX century the French, like other Nations all around the world, were very superstitious. And any sign they were accepted on faith. So, this amazing story happened to a little fourteen-year-old Bernadette Soubirous, a Miller’s daughter. Her father, descendant of Bigorre, who inhabited this area long before the mid-19th century, was a Miller, but, as it happened – went bankrupt.
The family barely making ends meet, and little Bernadette was forced to work as a maid at the wife of the junk dealer. On 11 February 1858, a miracle happened – the girl was the first to describe the phenomenon of the virgin Mary. She saw a strange glow and the Ghost in the grotto Massabielle, where they went to collect firewood. On persistent questions girls, a strange vision replied: “I am the Immaculate Conception”.
Of visions was 18 – in the same place where the curious, the Miller’s daughter went from time to time (instead of having to help his father in the mill).
However, it is worth to pay tribute to the courage of Bernadett. Not every volunteer will come second, third, and fourth time to the place where unexplained things are happening. On the other hand, in addition to Bernadette Ghost is not seen at all by anybody. Even the priest, who decided to check the strange things told by the girl in confession.
How she managed to convince the villagers that the Ghost she saw in the grotto – not that other as a miracle? First, in the place where the girl once dug a hole gushed, which was to bring about 12 thousand liters of clean water a day. Secondly, inexplicable cases of healing made the local people seriously speak of the Holiness of these places.
On the site of the cave where according to legend met little girls with the Virgin Mary, stands the sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes with the basilicas of the Rosary (Rosaire) and Immacule conception (Immaculée Conception). The feelings, he almost taller and grander than the Abbey of San Michele. Here, next, there are six female and eleven male of fonts. Visitors wait in line on the benches, sometimes for half a day. And when it comes to their turn, the monks help the pilgrims undress, allowing to leave only a crucifix, and is swimming considered to be healing. It is for deliverance from disease come here hundreds and hundreds of thousands of sufferers and believers.
The city itself is no less interesting than its religious attractions. There’s a wax Museum dedicated to the life of Benedett. And those streets, where she loved to walk, marked in blue.
She Bernadette lived a short life. In 1866 she joined the Sisters of mercy, whose members engaged in charity. In 1877 she became a nun, and two years later – at the age of thirty four years died of tumor of the meniscus in the convent of Nevers. Ibid her a few years later and exhumed. Actually, to tell you the truth, the deceased was exhumed three times. And, according to witnesses, never “on the body was not the slightest trace of decomposition. Another miracle. By the way, in Lourdes they counted a total of thirty-six.
Every year about five million people come to Lourdes to attend the international mass, which serve in different languages, to participate in a mass procession to collect Holy water and bathe in the baths. The city is the large number of hotels in France, except Paris, and then used the largest number of candles per year-about 700 tonnes.
