Stevenson Trail 2015


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The Stevenson Trail

Le Puy en Velay

Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy.

The cathedral forms the highest point of the city, rising from the foot of the Rocher Corneille, and contains architecture of every period from the 5th century to the 15th, which gives it an individual appearance. The bulk of construction, however, dates from the first half of the 12th century. The façade, striped in courses of white sandstone and black volcanic breccia, is reached by a flight of sixty steps.

The facade

The statue of the Black Virgin (17th century) evokes Mary's joy in presenting her son Jesus. The present-day statue was once worshiped in the Chapel of Saint-Maurice at the Monastery of the Visitation. It was brought to Le Puy at the specific request of the faithful in 1844 and crowned in the name of Pope Pius IX on 8th June 1856. The worship of the old Virgin was transferred to the new one. Testifying to this renewed devotion, the large Marian processions that had been held on August 15th each year were reinstated. On the Feast of Assumption, thousands of the faithful gather in the streets of Le Puy to pray and accompany the statue surrounded by all the bishops present.

The bell tower was designed in the 12th century as a separate structure built against the chevet of the cathedral.

Porche St Jean

The 12th century St Jean porch protects the access to the north transept of the cathedral and was used by kings and princes.

Rocher Corneille - Corneille Rock - the highest point of the town at 757 m altitude

In 1855, General Pélissier, victorious during the Crimean War, suggested to the Bishop of Le Puy en Velay that he should ask Emperor Napoleon III to donate a few of the guns captured at the siege of Sebastopol, to build a statue that the diocese of Le Puy wished to dedicate to the Virgin Mary. The emperor gave 213 guns, and the sculptor Jean-Marie Bonnassieux won the competition that was held for the statues design.

Two of the original Sebastopol canons

Kneeling at the base of the statue is Monsignor Joseph de Morlhon,
the bishop who arranged its construction.

Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe is a chapel in Aiguilhe, built in 969
on a volcanic plug 85 metres (279 ft) high. The chapel is reached
by 268 steps carved into the rock. It was built to celebrate the
return from the pilgrimage of Saint James.

Jutting dramatically towards heaven, the rock needle has been a sacred place for thousands of years: a prehistoric dolmen was built there and the Romans dedicated it to Mercury before the Christians built a chapel to St. Michael.

The entrance to the chapel

Detail of the tympanum

Inside the chapel

View from Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe across to Rocher Corneille

The delightful Chapelle Saint Claire at the foot of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe. This is a 12th C octagonal chapel with a small east apse. It is thought to have been the funerary chapel of l’Hôpital Saint-Nicholas d’Aiguilhe, which looked after pilgrims. The lintel above the west door is unusual as it has a carving showing the phases of the moon. The round topped windows have pillars with carved capitals supporting carved arches. Above the arches is a diamond pattern of dark and lighter colored stone. Outside the door is a small stone crucifix.