Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Upper Basilica)

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception stands on a rock directly above the Grotto of Massabielle at Lourdes, and it is the part of the sanctuary that gives the site its skyline. It was built between 1866 and 1871 to the plans of the architect Hippolyte Durand, in a neo-Gothic style, and not in the Byzantine style that is sometimes claimed for it; the neo-Byzantine church of the sanctuary is the neighbouring Rosary Basilica. A slim spire rises about seventy metres above the roof, and two ramps curve down from its terrace to the esplanade, forming the heart-shaped approach used by processions. It was consecrated in 1876.

The church was built because of what is believed to have happened in the grotto below in 1858. Between February and July of that year, Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen-year-old girl from the town, said that a lady had appeared to her eighteen times. At the sixteenth appearance, in March, the lady said that she was the Immaculate Conception, a title that referred to the dogma proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, which Bernadette, who was uneducated, was not expected to know. The Church, after an enquiry, recognised the apparitions in 1862, and the request that was said to have been made to build a chapel here led to the construction of the sanctuary.

The interior is narrow and tall, with a single nave rising to pointed vaults, and it is lit by stained glass in warm colours. The walls and the side chapels are covered in mosaics, marble plaques and votive offerings given by pilgrims from many countries, and many of the chapels are dedicated to different countries and traditions. Banners and flags hang from the vaults. It is a small church for the number of people who pass through it, so the atmosphere is intimate and devout. Many visitors come to pray, to light a candle or simply to sit in silence, and the basilica is open every day from early morning until evening, with free entry. Masses are held at set times in many languages, and the daily schedule is posted at the entrance.

The basilica is only one part of a sanctuary of 52 hectares that receives some three to four million visitors a year, in groups from dioceses all over the world. It includes the Grotto, where the water of the spring that Bernadette uncovered flows, and the baths, where pilgrims immerse themselves. Every evening there is a torchlight procession on the esplanade in front of the church, in which thousands of pilgrims walk with candles while singing the Ave Maria, and it is one of the most moving sights at Lourdes. The sanctuary also has a medical bureau that examines claims of healing, and hospitals and accommodation for the sick.

Visitors should remember that this is an active place of worship, so quiet voices and modest dress are expected. The Place du Rosaire, the Basilica of Saint Pius X and the Musée des Apparitions are close by, and the river path beside the Gave de Pau offers a calmer walk. Plan an hour for the basilica and the Grotto, and more if you attend a service.