Vezelay
Hilltop Village And Romanesque Basilica Of Sainte Marie Madeleine, A Starting Point Of The Way Of St James; VéZelay, Church And Hill, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1979 · Vezelay, Burgundy-Franche-Comte
Vézelay is a small hilltop village in northern Burgundy, crowned by the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, one of the great Romanesque churches of Europe. In the Middle Ages relics said to be of Mary Magdalene made it one of the main pilgrimage churches in the West, Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade here in 1146, and it became one of the four traditional starting points of the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. The church is known for the carved tympanum over the inner doorway, showing Christ sending the apostles out to the peoples of the world, for the capitals of the nave and for its striped arches of pale and dark stone. Around the summer solstice, pools of midday sunlight fall along the centre of the nave floor. A monastic community sings the daily offices, confirm the times. The church and hill were listed by UNESCO in 1979. The village is one steep street of stone houses, and the terrace behind the basilica looks out over the Morvan hills. It is very quiet outside summer.
Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, 89450 Vézelay, Yonne, Vezelay, Burgundy-Franche-Comte, France
The basilica is normally open every day from early morning until evening, all year, and entry is free; confirm the current pattern, as hours shorten in winter. It is a living church, so visiting is restricted during the monastic community's offices and Masses, which are sung several times a day, and on Sunday mornings and major feasts the nave is reserved for worship. Guided visits in French, and at times in other languages, are organised through the basilica's welcome service, more often in summer; ask at the welcome desk or book ahead for a group. The crypt is open with the church but may close during services. The solstice light effect is best seen around midday on the days either side of 21 June, and the church is busy then. In the village, many shops, galleries and restaurants open only from spring to autumn and some close for the winter entirely or open only at weekends, so off-season visitors should check where to eat before arriving. The Zervos museum in the village has its own seasonal opening; confirm.