La Madeleine de Vézelay

Vézelay Abbey, which dominates the village of Vézelay from its hilltop position, is immediately captivating thanks to its prominence. Then visitors discover its interior and its extraordinary sculptures. The beauty and the elevation of the site have not escaped the attention of leading specialists and the entire site, including the hill and building, was made into a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979. The author here invites us on a pilgrimage both to the abbey as a destination in itself and as part of the Camino de Santiago. The Medieval images, had messages to convey to all those who passed by and the author provides us with the keys to understanding them. Having examined the different components of what gives this site its soul, along with its history, the spirit of the builders, monks, pilgrims and many others, he discusses each of the sculptures, all wonderfully designed by Florence Faivre, and offers an interpretation, along a line which might not necessarily seem obvious to everyone, as it is often thought that there is no particular logic to the order the sculptures appear in. For the author, in contrast, this logic is etched into the stone and anyone who follows it gains the benefit of a greater knowledge of others, and most importantly himself, as is the ultimate aim of any pilgrimage.