One of the most important pilgrimage places of the world Lourdes is located 497 miles away from Paris. This largest and the most famous catholic religious site of France popularly known as, Our Lady of Lourdes lies is one of the special attractions of France. This pilgrimage site is situated the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. It was at Grotto of Massabielle Lourdes in 1858 that Blessed Virgin Mary , Mother of Jesus appeared in eighteen visions to a humble and god fearing 14 year old village girl Bernadette Soubirous. Grotto of Massabielle is also called Cave of Apparitions or Miraculous Cave.
In one of these apparitions Blessed Virgin Mary disclosed to Bernadette about an unexplored spring in the grotto which was full of miraculous powers. Since then, numerous sick people suffering from severe ailments like asthma, tuberculosis and cancer have got completely cured after bathing in this divine spring.
After those vision’s of Blessed Virgin Mary , Bernadette went on to become a nun and lived a brief life of 35 years on the earth serving the poor and the sick people .This famous nun of France who was born on 7th of January, 1844 passed away on 16th of April, 1879 .Bernadette was canonized as a Saint by Pope Pius in 1933. To the utter surprise of everyone in the world her body has not decayed or decomposed in spite of being exhumed on three different occasions in 1909, 1919 and 1925. She was canonized as a saint in 1933. Since 1925 Bernadette’s body has been lying for public display in a silver and glass coffin at Church of Saint Gildard in Nevers. Along with the sacred grotto, the body of Saint Bernadette continues to be the special attraction of France.
Millions of tourists as well as pilgrims throng this divine sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes which is spread over 52 hectares and consists of around 22 areas of worship. Our Lady of Lourdes sanctuary consists of two Basilica’s out of which one is largest underground basilica in the world dedicated to Saint Pius. The house of Bernadette is one of the special attractions of France in this great pilgrimage site.
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Every year over 5 million tourists and pilgrims visit Our Lady of Lourdes one of the most the revered pilgrimage site in the world. According to records available till date since 1880 over 200 million people from 111 countries have toured Frances biggest pilgrimage site Lourdes. Though tourists come to this pilgrimage site throughout the year. The largest congregation of humanity occurs on August 15th the Feast of Assumption of Mary.
Due to its sheer popularity, Frances biggest pilgrimage site, Our Lady of Lourdes today has great number of hotels, restaurants and markets to cater to the huge influx of tourists and pilgrims.
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