Le Puy-en-Velay
The capital of Haute-Loire, the town of Le Puy-en-Velay is located in the south-east of the Massif Central. As the starting point of the famous Via Podiensis, one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela, since the Middle Ages, the Auvergne town is a major pilgrimage site, with its cathedral and Hôtel-Dieu listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Built at the foot of the Corneille Rock, an imposing volcanic peak towering over the historic centre, the Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre-Dame) is a remarkable example of the Romanesque style with Carolingian, Byzantine and Moorish influences. This magnificent 11th and 12th-century building is reached via picturesque sloping streets starting from the lower part of town and a long flight of 134 steps. When you arrive, be sure to take a look at its majestic polychrome façade decorated with mosaics and the ancient fresco on its western porch, before admiring the superb Romanesque cloister with polychrome arches and sculpted capitals, as well as the beautiful pieces in the treasure collection located in the former Hall of the States of Velay. Above the high altar is the famous 17th-century Black Madonna of Le Puy, which is processioned through the streets of the old town on 15 August every year.
Perched at the top of the Corneille Rock, the statue of Our Lady of France, a cast iron work created by the sculptor Bonnassieux in the 19th century using cast iron from the cannons of the Battle for Sevastopol, offers a splendid view of the city's red roofs from its platform!
Le Puy-en-Velay is also famous for its bobbin lace, which according to the legend was invented there. Visitors can learn about it at the Crozatier Museum, located at the bottom of the pleasant Henri Vinay Garden, which boasts a variety of plants. The museum's galleries also house collections dedicated to archaeology, fine arts, palaeontology, ethnology, natural sciences and mechanics.
To complete your knowledge of the lace-makers' art, do not miss a chance to visit the Bobbin Lace Education Centre (Centre d'Enseignement de la Dentelle au Fuseau), which offers courses and workshops: this ancestral skill will be explained to you in detail, from the equipment used to the different stitches and motifs. Its exhibition rooms reveal magnificent collections of old and contemporary lace from various periods and countries.
