Basilique Notre-Dame d'Orcival

Orcival

One of the five great Romanesque basilicas of Auvergne, built between 1146 and 1178. Its Majesty of Our Lady of Orcival, a processional statue in walnut gilded with gold leaf and dated to around 1170 — and thus contemporary with the building — presents a face with asymmetrical features and a Child with an adult's face holding the book of the Gospels, on a throne adorned with reliefs inspired by antique cameos. It has ever since been the object of an annual pilgrimage on Ascension Thursday, when a barefoot procession makes its way to the nearby spring (see the entry for the chapel and spring of Notre-Dame d'Orcival).

Getting there : Free admission

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

Ambient sound