Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de la Drèche

Cagnac-les-Mines

On a height overlooking both Albi and the former mining basin of Cagnac, the red-brick silhouette of Notre-Dame de la Drèche can be seen from afar. Local tradition traces the pilgrimage back to the 12th century: the Virgin is said to have appeared to shepherds, and a statue of the Virgin and Child to have been found on the hill, giving birth to the cult of "Notre-Dame de la Drèche" – which some read as "de la Droite", the Virgin of the right path. Pilgrims long came here to seek healing for their ills and infirmities, peasants of the Albigeois and later miners' families. In 1863, to receive the crowds, the astonishing present octagonal rotunda was raised, some twenty metres high and wide, its interior entirely covered in religious paintings. The sanctuary also houses one of the liveliest manual carillons in France: 36 bells that the carillonneur still plays on the great feast days. In the sacristies, a museum of sacred art brings together chalices, reliquaries and rare pieces – a Latin Bible of 1536, a 15th-century Norman pietà, an 18th-century ivory crucifix. Served by a religious community, the place remains an active Marian sanctuary of the diocese of Albi, where people climb as much for prayer as for the panorama over the Albigeois.

Getting there : 5 km north-west of Albi, towards Cagnac-les-Mines (D90). Car park on site. Church open during the day; guided tours (bell tower, carillon, museum of sacred art) through the sanctuary or the Vallée du Tarn tourist office.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound