Verdelais, France: Basilica of Our Lady of the Afflicted
About Verdelaise:
Located in the Aquitane Region of Southwestern France, the town is home to a shrine dedicated to Our Lady that goes back to the 12th Century.
In the year 1112, Geraud de Graves, a knight, returned home from the First Crusade. He chose to retire here in Verdelais and live as a hermit. He built a chapel to house a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary…..one that is said that he brought back from Bethlehem.
Not long after his death in 1159, the land was given to the hermetic order of the Grandmontains. The chapel and the statue remained.
In 1185, a blind man was miraculously cured here….the first of many such miracles to take place here. The statue, and later the Shrine, was named Our Lady of the Afflicted.
Traveling to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Afflicted:
The shrine is located about 30 miles Southeast of Bordeaux. The nearest major airport is in Bordeaux. There is train service from Bordeaux to Preignac. From Preignac you would need to take a taxi to the Shrine. Get train & bus schedules, see fares & buy tickets here.
Address: 2 Le Bourg, 33490 Verdelais, France
GPS coordinates: 44° 35′ 17.9772” N, 0° 14′ 57.0300” W
Tel: +33 (5) 56 76 70 45
Click here for the official website of the Shrine of Verdelais
