Musée des Apparitions

The museums of Lourdes cluster around the sanctuary, and the one described here is devoted to the story of Bernadette Soubirous and the apparitions of 1858. Bernadette was born in Lourdes in 1844, the daughter of a miller who fell into poverty, and she grew up in a family so poor that they ended up living in a former prison cell known as the Cachot. In February 1858, when she was fourteen, she went to gather firewood by the river Gave and reported seeing a young woman in white in a hollow of the rock at Massabielle. Between February and July, she described eighteen such apparitions, and the events drew crowds, scepticism, official inquiries and eventually recognition by the Church, which led to the creation of the sanctuary.

The museum follows this story in order, which makes it a useful introduction before or after visiting the grotto and basilicas. It presents the chronology of the eighteen apparitions, the people involved and the reaction of the town and authorities, using documents, images and objects. Visitors can see rare pictures and engravings of the period, as well as personal belongings associated with Bernadette, such as her clothes, a veil and handwritten letters, which give the story a very human dimension. Scale models of the town of Lourdes in the mid-nineteenth century show how small and modest it was before the pilgrimages began, and how the area around the grotto changed into the great religious centre of today.

The museum is quieter than the sanctuary itself, which can be crowded, especially in summer and during national pilgrimages, so it offers a calmer place to think about the history. A visit usually takes one or two hours. Visitors who want to follow Bernadette's life further can see the Cachot, her family's home in the old town, and the Moulin Boly, the mill where she was born. After the apparitions, she left Lourdes in 1866 to become a nun in Nevers, where she lived a hidden life and died in 1879. She was declared a saint in 1933.

The other places in the sanctuary are close by. The Grotto of Massabielle, the Place du Rosaire, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of St. Pius X and the stretch of the Gave de Pau River Walks are within a few minutes' walk, and the Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs presents regional arts. The medieval castle that overlooks the town houses a museum of Pyrenean life.

The museum suits pilgrims and those interested in the history of religion. Check opening times and ticket arrangements before you go, and dress respectfully.