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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-fin-des-Terres Basilica, located in Soulac-sur-Mer in Gironde, is a 12th century Romanesque religious building, deeply marked by its role in the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Its name evokes the historical fragmentation of the North-Medoc into islands, isolated by waters until the 16th century. Ranked as a historic monument in 1891 and registered at UNESCO in 1998, it also symbolizes the struggle against the sensibility that almost engulfed.

According to medieval traditions, the evangelization of the Médoc is linked to Saint Véronique, Saint Amadour and Saint Martial de Limoges, founders of an oratory that preserves a relic of the milk of the Virgin. Although these accounts lack archaeological evidence, a Benedictine monastery is attested as early as the 11th century. The priory, dependent on the Sainte-Croix Abbey of Bordeaux, becomes a stop for pilgrims avoiding the Bay of Gascony, with nearby hospices like that of the Hospitallers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem.

Designed as a pilgrimage church, the basilica is home to a variety of relics, including a shawl of Saint Véronique and grains associated with the flight to Egypt. As early as the 12th century, the building was under threat from flooding, requiring extensive renovation in the 14th century. In the 16th century, fortifications were added in the face of the Wars of Religion, but the advance of the dunes forced the abandonment of the village in 1741. The basilica, buried, was released only in the 19th century under the impulse of Cardinal Donnet.

The Romanesque architecture of the basilica, influenced by the Saintongese and Poitevin styles, is distinguished by a nave to collateral and historic capitals. The choir, preceded by a five-sided apse, preserves modern stained glass by Francis Chigot (1954). The 19th century restorations, led by Charles Durand, partially altered its structure, such as the suppression of the transept. Today, it still houses venerated statues, including a polychrome wooden Virgin and a medieval castle.

The site, formerly linked to the roads of Compostela, illustrates the challenges posed by the coastal environment. Its rescue in the 19th century made it a symbol of resilience, mixing religious, architectural and natural heritage. The excavations and restorations revealed missing paintings and a carved decoration evocative of medieval traditions, while preserving its cult and memorial function.

Future

The Notre-Dame-de-la-fin-des-Terres Basilica is one of 71 monuments and 7 portions of paths have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998 under the official title "Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France".

It is on the way to the Way of Soulac (or way of the coast or way of the English) which departs from Soulac-sur-Mer in France and ends in Irun in Spain.

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