Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel Notre-Dame de Lestelle-Betharram is part of a Pyrenean Marian tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the priest Hubert Charpentier founded a hospice for pilgrims, enlarged the existing chapel and established a monastery, marking the birth of the current sanctuary. The site, already linked to a 15th century legend evoking a miraculous intervention of the Virgin, becomes a place of major devotion, with more than eighty healings recorded in the 17th century. The pilgrims flocked to venerate a miraculous statue, while a cross path, initiated in 1623 with three large crosses, structured devotion on the hill overlooking the sanctuary.

In the 18th century, the sanctuary welcomed figures such as Pierre de Jelyotte, a pensioner and future renowned singer, formed by a resident priest. The French Revolution miraculously saved a wooden statue of Christ in the column, the only surviving of the destruction of the Calvary stations in 1794. The latter, initially four and then seven, were rebuilt in the 19th century under the impetus of Michel Garicoits, founder of the Congregation of Priests of the Sacred Heart. The artist Joseph Alexandre Renoir then contributed to the restoration, sculpting seven stations and the emblematic Marian statue of Beau Rameau.

The 19th century saw Peter Gorsus also create lithographs to finance the restoration of the sanctuary, while architecture enriched with the chapel Saint-Michel-Garicoits, built in 1922 to house the relics of the saint. The site, classified as Historic Monument in 1989, retains a remarkable interior: three naves, a high altar decorated with a Virgin with the Child of Alexander Renoir, and paintings narrating the childhood of Christ. The stained glass windows and statues, including a 13th century polychrome Virgin, bear witness to her rich heritage.

In the 21st century, the sanctuary enjoyed major restorations, supported by the Stéphane Bern Mission, including the Notre-Dame chapel (2022-2023) and the Calvary stations, classified since 2002. However, its recent history is marked by a scandal: in 2024, an investigation revealed accusations of sexual violence and assault committed between 1970 and 1990 by teachers at the school at issue, undermining the reputation of the place.

Today, the sanctuary remains a high place of pilgrimage, combining artistic heritage, Marian memory and contemporary challenges. Its cross path, white chapels and bearnaise architecture make it an emblematic site of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, between faith, history and controversy.

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