Le Puy-en-Velay is a jewel in the heart of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. Find here the must-see monuments to visit to make the most of your stay in Velay and discover the exceptional heritage of our city, capital of the hiking trails Saint-Jacques-of Compostela.
Le Puy-en-Velay is a city ofArt and History. The Pays d'art et d'histoire department of the Puy-en-Velay urban area also promotes and shares the region's riches with residents, young people and tourists. It offers year-round discovery of the heritage of the 72 communes through visits and conferences, activities adapted to different audiences, exhibitions and publications.
Head in the stars… A few minutes walk from the city center, the monumental statue of Notre-Dame de France is an astonishing technical feat. Erected in 1860, it was created with the metal of 213 cannons captured from the Russians during the Crimean War and offered by Napoleon III.
Work of JM Bonnassieux, it measures 22,70m and weighs 835 tonnes. An extraordinary site: the Corneille rock, ancient citadel, highest point of the Ponot basin offers a unique panorama of the Cathedral, the city and the region with blue horizons.
The climb, equipped with interpretation panels and an orientation table, is easily accessible on foot.
After a first church built in the 5th century, the Cathedral was built on the Mount AnisIn the 12th century, the influx of pilgrims led to the installation of four bays above a vaulted porch, to compensate for the slope of Mount Anis. Entrance was via a staircase which opened out in the middle of the central nave..
In the 1994th century, the building was considerably transformed, but the six domes and admirable painted decorations were preserved. From 1999 to XNUMX, an overall restoration allowed the restoration of the central staircase closed in the XNUMXth century, the repair of the interior facings and the reassembly of the organ with its double-sided XNUMXth century case.
A new altar was placed at the crossing of the transept, while the “pilgrims” altar, against the wall, bears the “Black Virgin” which replaced the primitive statue, burned during the Revolution.
Good to know
AGo and discover the chapel of the penitents inside the cathedral. Then, go out onto the Place du For and take a look at the 180° panorama of the city, its brick roofs and mullioned windows.
Discover the Cloister and its treasures
Built in the 11th and 12th centuries, the cloister of Puy-en-Velay is theone of the most beautiful Romanesque ensembles in Europe. The semicircular arches are topped by a mosaic of white, red and black diamonds. The chapter house is decorated with a fresco of the Crucifixion. The cloister also presents a remarkable series of historiated capitals from the 12th century: the four Evangelists, a race of centaurs, an abbot and an abbess fighting over the crozier. To be discovered with the treasure of the Cathedral, an exceptional collection of liturgical ornaments and embroidered devotional paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, gathered for more than thirty years.
Take the path of the stars and visualize the steps towards Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle. Through a very modern scenography, the visitor is immediately immersed in the path of Saint-Jacques. From its appearance in the Middle Ages to its current modernity, all the dimensions of the Camino are presented. A true invitation to experience, a place of welcome, advice and meeting for the walker, it is also an essential addition to the cultural life of Puy-en-Velay.
The pilgrims' café and its magnificent garden constitute a relaxing stop at the bedside of the Cathedral.
Climb the rock
Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe
The Puy-en-Velay basin is characterized by the presence of basaltic breccias, including that of Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe is the most spectacular. These forms of downwash are called "necks" in the case of the release of ancient volcanic chimneys, such as Saint-Michel, which were formed under the water of the lake around 2,2 million years ago.
Technical and human prowess, the chapel built in 961 was built thanks to theBishop Godescalc who decided to build it on his return from a pilgrimage to Saint-Jacques-of Compostela. Discovered in 1955 during repair work on the altar, the treasure is made up of relics dating back to the origins of the construction. Remarkable frescoes have also been restored.
The Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe rock is one of the sites, resulting from volcanism, the most remarkable and astonishing in FranceThe rock, 82m high, and the Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe chapel form an exceptional ensemble.
Departing from Geneva, Cluny, Lyon or directly from Puy-en-Velay, the paths leading to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle are today much more than a pilgrimage route. It's adventure, the real one, with the discovery of the universal heritage that surrounds these mythical paths.
Road of Saint-Jacques
the prelude to SAINT-Jacques (PR673)
Offered as a prologue to hikers heading towards Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, this urban PR allows you to take the street Saint-Jacques in Puy-en-Velay, just like the walkers leaving for the GR65 towards Saint-Privat-d'Allier.
From the Tourist Office, the route 6,8km combines heritage riches, upper town, museum spaces of the Hôtel-Dieu and the Camino, banks of the Borne, the magnificent Henri Vinay garden, shops in the city center... Ideal for strolling and discovering Le Puy-en-Velay in a different way!
A true gem in the heart of the Henri Vinay garden, the Crozatier museum has once again become the temple of the great Velay collections after 8 years of work.
Very diverse, the collections take on a remarkable encyclopedic characterThey are presented in galleries devoted to archaeology, fine arts, ethnology, lace, paleontology, natural sciences and mechanics.
Four groups punctuate the visit: The historical gallery presents local collections from Prehistory to the Renaissance. The Velay gallery is dedicated to ancestral pilgrimages as well as lace, one of the main local know-how. The Fine Arts Gallery exhibits the priceless Virgin with the Mantle (15th century), the Holy Family of Barthélémy d'Eyck (15th century) and the two famous paintings showing Vercingetorix before Caesar. The dome room with its ceiling decorated with a contemporary creation by Franck Chalendard offers a remarkable view of the upper town. The science and technology gallery presents collections of paleontology and natural history, including the famous Auvergne mastodon, which respond to an exceptional set of mechanics evoking the technological innovations of the 19th
Created in 1974, the Bobbin Lace Teaching Center pursues two essential missions: maintaining tradition and practice through teaching and safeguarding lace heritageOver the years, the Center has acquired an international reputation and its correspondence courses, followed worldwide, make it a reference in terms of training. Exhibition rooms allow you to discover a themed exhibition each year.
The National Lace Conservatory Workshop, for its part, is attached to the general administration of National Furniture, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture. He is responsible for maintaining bobbin lace techniques: layout, finishing and assembly. The lacemakers perpetuate traditional know-how by creating unique, high-quality works based on designs by internationally renowned contemporary artists. These pieces are presented to the public during exhibitions in France and abroad.
Near Puy-en-Velay, in the heart of the Borne valley, the basilica of Saint-Joseph de Bon-Espoir d'Espaly, completed in 1918, occupies the site of the former chapel of a fortified castle. The monumental statue measures 22,40 meters high and seems to respond to Notre-Dame de France located on the Corneille rock in Puy-en-Velay.
Work of Brother André Besqueut, the statue was built in reinforced concrete. Its construction was approved by Pope Pius X. The inauguration and blessing took place on April 11, 1910. During your visit, admire the chapel nestled in the rock. Around the sanctuary, a few narrow and picturesque streets make up old Espaly.
