Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes

The sanctuary is a destination for sick and disabled pilgrims as the Lourdes water, which has flowed from the grotto since the apparitions, is reputed for miraculous healings.

The area is owned and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes, and has several functions, including devotional activities, offices, and accommodation for sick and disabled pilgrims and their helpers.

At the time of the apparitions, the grotto lay well outside town, on common ground which was used by the villagers variously for pasturing animals, collecting firewood, and as a garbage dump, and it had a reputation for being an unpleasant place.

The "lady" eventually introduced herself to Bernadette as the Immaculate Conception, which had been proclaimed as a dogma for the Virgin Mary by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

In 1864, the French sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch was commissioned to create a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes based on Bernadette's descriptions.

Although it has become an iconic symbol of Our Lady of Lourdes, it depicts a figure which is not only older and taller than Bernadette's description, but also more in keeping with orthodox and traditional representations of the Virgin Mary.

The original wild rose bush was destroyed shortly after the apparitions by pilgrims seeking relics, but a newer one has been planted nearby.

The then bishop, François-Xavier Schoepfer, contested this confiscation and was permitted to rent the area of the sanctuary from the town until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

[8] The Roman Catholic Church has officially recognized 70 miracle healings, the 70th of which was the cure of Sister Bernadette Moriau, recognised on 11 February 2018.

The water from Lourdes was thoroughly analysed by independent chemists in 1858 and 1859, and does not appear to have a latent power to cure and has no special scientific or medicinal properties.

The procession begins at the open-air altar on the prairie across the river from the grotto and is led by sick pilgrims followed by a priest, bishop or cardinal carrying a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament.

The procession makes its way across the river, past the Crowned Virgin, along the esplanade and down into the St. Pius X underground basilica where pilgrims with disabilities are provided accommodations (often in the front) to access the altar.

The procession is led by sick and disabled pilgrims followed by volunteers carrying a replica of the Cabuchet statue of the Virgin Mary.

The nave is small and a notable feature as are the enormous pillars which support the weight of the Upper Basilica, which was constructed on top of it.

The crypt is entered along a corridor, whose entrance is dominated by a large bronze statue of St. Peter, holding the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In contrast to the grandness of Rosary Square and the three basilicas, the grotto at Massabielle where St Bernadette's visions took place is very simple and stark.

When Mass is not being celebrated, pilgrims can process through the grotto where it is traditional to touch the rocks directly under the statue; so many people have done this that the stones have become polished.

In addition to washing their face at the fountains, pilgrims can immerse in baths filled with Lourdes water (called piscines in French, meaning "pools").

Lighting a votive candle is another religious gesture that Bernadette Soubirous made during the apparitions and which is now part of the Lourdes pilgrimage.

It was designed to allow as much natural light as possible into the nave, and light-coloured materials have been used, making it noticeably brighter than the Underground Basilica.

It was moved several years ago into a more prominent position, into the building previously known as the Accueil Notre Dame, near the crowned statue and facing the esplanade.

Across the Gave from the grotto is a wide, open, uncluttered space covered with grass and known in French as the prairie, or in English, the meadow.

The Espelugues hill is separated from the central part of the sanctuary by the avenue Mgr Théas and the route de la Forêt.

To reach the first station, a stone staircase of 28 steps is reminiscent of the Scala Sancta in Rome, with some pilgrims also climbing it and on their knees.

Across the river from the grotto and the churches is the Accueil Notre Dame, a modern facility built in 1996 to house sick pilgrims during their time in Lourdes.

The old Accueil Notre Dame stood opposite the Underground Basilica, and has been extensively remodelled, being divided into two buildings by removing a section.

The other section is now known as the Accueil John Paul II, and contains several chapels, the First Aid post and Dispensary, and the offices of the Hospitalité.

Typically, pilgrims arrive at the Accueil Notre Dame in specially adapted buses, either from Tarbes Airport or Lourdes train station, and will be welcomed in the transit lounge from where they are taken to their rooms.

Some visitors may dislike the commercialism of parts of Lourdes, with neon-emblazoned shops overflowing with what Malcolm Muggeridge, a supporter of the shrine, called "tawdry relics, the bric-a-brac of piety".

[21] Critics argue that the Lourdes phenomenon is nothing more than a significant money-spinner for the town and the region, which therefore has a strong vested interest in keeping the pilgrims coming.