Pilgrims on the Way

After leaving Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe I headed out to explore the town. Of course, the first place I spotted was a bookstore. Le Puy is very much a tourist hotspot, and the streets of the old town are packed with charming little shops and cafés. Date: 17 August 2023 Place: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Maps!

Just one last photo in the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe before we head back to town. In addition to yesterday’s ceiling, the walls of the old church are covered in brilliant, if badly deteriorated, painting throughout. This is one of my favourite bits. It’s not a great photo, as the place is shadowy and dim, but I saw this […]

The vaulted and domed ceiling over the sanctuary of the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe retains much of its original tenth century paint. It depicts Christ on His throne, surrounded by angels and saints. The symbols of the four Evangelists are at the corners, and Saint Michael is depicted slaying the dragon. In person, it’s awe-inspiring. Every tourist and pilgrim […]

The tenth century sanctuary of the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe is more or less the original square chapel, though as you can see it has some twentieth century furnishings in its altar and ambo. That’s ten centuries looking back at you. The area above the sanctuary is domed, and the medieval paintings are breathtaking. Photo coming tomorrow! I prayed […]

Because the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe must conform to the basic geography of the needle on which it perches, the interior layout is a trifle eccentric. As you step inside, the 12th century nave curves around the edge of the peak, culminating in the sanctuary. The current sanctuary is the original square 10th century chapel, and it is accessed […]

This view is looking up the ornamented archivolt above the doors and up to the façade of the church. Without a drone, it’s difficult to get a good photo – there’s no place to back up to if you want a different angle! The art is amazing – pretty good for the “dark ages” of the 12th century, when this […]

From top of the needle, you can see all of the valley spread out below. In the center of the photo, you can see the tower of the Cathedral. The tent-like structure behind it is one of the other buildings in the Cathedral district undergoing restoration. The statue on the hill to the left is the iron statue of Notre-Dame […]

It’s a steep 268 steps up to the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe. It’s dizzying, and the views are tremendous. Here you can see some folks gingerly climbing down, back to the city. In addition to the church on the top of the needle, there were three chapels, a monastery, and a garden at various points as you climbed up. […]

The city of Le Puy-en-Velay and its surrounding towns and villages are built inside a long extinct volcanic caldera. After millions of years of weathering and erosion, you get some interesting terrain features, including this granite spire, atop of which is built the church of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe – literally “Saint Michael of the needle”. Construction of this church, dedicated […]