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Origin and history

The Notre Dame de Rocamadour Chapel, also known as the Miraculous Chapel or the Virgin Chapel, is one of the spiritual hearts of the Religious City of Rocamadour, listed as a historical monument in 2000. It houses a 13th century black Virgin, an object of veneration for nearly a thousand years by pilgrims from all over the world. Backed by the cliff and adjoining the Basilica of St.Sauveur, it symbolizes one of the major sites of medieval Christianity, mentioned as early as 1105 in a bubble of Pope Pascal II.

The early chapel, attested at the beginning of the twelfth century, measured about 8 x 9 meters and was separated from the Saint-Sauveur church by an alley. Destroyed in 1476 by a landslide, it was rebuilt in 1479 by Denis de Bar, bishop of Tulle, before being sacked during the Wars of Religion and the Revolution. Between 1863 and 1864, Abbé Chevalt rebuilt it and expanded, while a comprehensive restoration of the sanctuary was undertaken from 1842 by the bishops of Cahors.

The present building, flamboyant Gothic style, is distinguished by its southern door decorated with the weapons of Denis de Bar and his successor, Clement de Brillac. Inside, a 19th-century altarpiece by the goldsmith Pussèlque Rusan frames the statue of the Black Virgin, restored after 1945 and in 2003. The chapel also preserves a "miraculous" bell forged before the 9th century, known to sound alone during rescues at sea, as well as ex-voto maritimes of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The murals, such as The Dit of the Three Dead and the Three Living (Fifteenth Century) or The Annunciation and The Visitation (XII century), testify to the artistic richness of the place. The stained glass windows, including one signed by Étienne Thevenot (1844), complete this heritage. The pilgrimage, after a decline in the Revolution, reborn in the 19th century thanks to the restorations and persistent devotion to the Black Virgin, a symbol of protection for sailors and faithful.

The chapel is part of a coherent architectural ensemble, with its vault on a dogive cross and its roof of flat tiles. Its furniture, such as the medieval altar table or models of suspended boats, illustrates its role both religious and memorial. Today, it remains a place of recollection and heritage, attracting visitors and believers to this emblematic site of the Lot and Occitanie.

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