Theme Week Auvergne – Le Puy-en-Velay
Saturday, 29 July 2023 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union General , UNESCO World Heritage
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Chapel Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe © W. Bulach/cc-by-sa-4.0
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Le Puy-en-Velay (literally
Le Puy in Velay ;
Occitan : Lo Puèi de Velai) is the
prefecture of the
Haute-Loire department in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Located near the river
Loire , the city is famous for its
cathedral , for a
kind of lentil , for its lace-making, as well as for being the origin of the Chemin du Puy, one of the principal origin points of the pilgrimage
route of Santiago de Compostela in France . In 2017, the
commune had a population of 18,995.
Le Puy-en-Velay’s most striking attraction is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy , dating chiefly from the first half of the 12th century. The façade, striped in courses of white sandstone and black volcanic breccia, is reached by a flight of sixty steps, and consists of three orders, the lowest composed of three high arcades opening into the porch, which extends beneath the first bays of the nave . Above it are three central windows that light the nave, and above them are three gables on the gable-end of the nave, flanked by two openwork screening gables. The south transept doorway is sheltered by a Romanesque porch. Behind the choir rises a separate Romanesque bell-tower in seven storeys.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy © Jean-Pol GRANDMONT/cc-by-3.0
The bays of the nave are roofed by octagonal cupolas, the cupola at the
crossing forming a lantern; the choir and transepts are
barrel vaulted . The striking parti-colored cloister is connected to remains of 13th-century fortifications that separated the cathedral precincts from the rest of the city. Near the cathedral, the 11th-century
baptistery of St John is built on Roman foundations.
The iron statue of
Notre-Dame de France (The Virgin Mary) overlooking the town was designed by the French sculptor
Jean-Marie Bonnassieux , and is made from 213 Russian
cannons taken in the
Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) . It was presented to the town on 12 September 1860 in front of 120,000 people.
Three miles from Le Puy are the ruins of the Château de Polignac, one of the most important feudal strongholds.
Each morning, pilgrims gather to be blessed before starting their journey to Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral has been a
Unesco World Heritage Site since 1998, as part of the “
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France “. Fountain Crozatier is also a noted site in the centre of the town.
Here you can find the complete
Overview of all Theme Weeks .
Read more on
Wikivoyage Le Puy-en-Velay and
Wikipedia Le Puy-en-Velay . Learn more about the
use of photos . To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (
Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State -
Weather report by weather.com -
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine - Coronavirus Resource Center -
Global Passport Power Rank -
Democracy Index -
GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank -
Global Competitiveness Report -
Corruption Perceptions Index -
Press Freedom Index -
World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index -
UN Human Development Index -
Global Peace Index -
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index ). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at
comment@wingsch.net . Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.
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