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Key figures

Origin and history

Our Lady of Ay sanctuary, located on a rocky spur in Saint-Romain-d'Ay (Ardèche), finds its origins in the Middle Ages, probably during the Third Crusade. It was originally the chapel of a castle belonging to the Counts of Tournon, housing a statue of Black Virgin called "Our Lady of Ay". This place became a site of Marian devotion, marked by processions from the seventeenth century.

During the Wars of Religion, the sanctuary and its medieval statue were destroyed. A copy of the Black Virgin, still visible today, was later installed. At the Revolution, the chapel was declared national and bought by Antoine Farigoules, who installed his residence there while preserving sacred objects. In 1797 Father Joseph Laurent became the chaplain for 12 years, before the sanctuary returned to the local parish.

In the 19th century, Jeanne de Larochette undertook a major restoration of the chapel between 1831 and 1834, adding a choir, a vault and a bell tower. In 1835 the bishop of Viviers blessed the new place of worship and entrusted the sanctuary to the Jesuits, who made it a flourishing pilgrimage centre. In 1880, anti-congregation decrees expelled the Jesuits, but the pilgrimage persisted. A notable event took place in 1890: a monumental statue of the Virgin was erected on the bell tower, and the Black Virgin was crowned "Queen of the High Vivarians" during a ceremony bringing together 20,000 faithful and seven bishops.

The twentieth century saw periods of temporary closure (1903) and the permanent departure of the Jesuits in 1954. The Black Virgin was listed as a historic monument in 1968, and the site was listed for the picturesque sites of the Ardèche in 1982. Today, the shrine, attached to the parish of Saint-François Régis of the vals of Ay and Daronne, welcomes pilgrims, cultural exhibitions and Marian celebrations, perpetuating a tradition of devotion and serenity.

The site includes a neoclassical chapel with a unique nave, adorned with ex-voto and stained glass windows, as well as a park with cross paths, sculptures and esplanades. Modern infrastructure (exhibition rooms, accommodation) complements visitor reception. The sanctuary remains a spiritual and historical symbol of Upper Vivarais, linked to figures such as Saint John Francis Régis or the parish priest of Ars.

Annual pilgrimages, such as those of May or the Assumption, attract faithful from the region and beyond. The association "Les amis de Notre-Dame d的Ay", founded in 1982, organizes cultural events and maintains this heritage, mixing faith, history and art in a preserved natural setting.

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