Rosary basilica

The Lower Basilica (often called The Rosary Basilica)

The Rosary Basilica dates from 1899. Entry to it is via a small door to the right of the main facade.  One of the first things to meet the eye is the mosaic of Our Lady above the sanctuary.  Our Lady is depicted as a young woman, much resembling the description of her given by Bernadette.  It is, in fact, said to be more faithful to that description than the statue that has been placed at the Grotto.

On either side of the Mosaic are - in French - the words, 'Through Mary to Jesus', which really sum up the whole theme of Lourdes.

Around the nave are small chapels, which each contain a mosaic of one of the Joyful, Sorrowful or Glorious Mysteries.  The Joyful Mysteries are on the left of the nave, the Sorrowful Mysteries behind the sanctuary, and the Glorious Mysteries are to the right of the nave.  The Luminous Mysteries - often called the Mysteries of Light - have been added to the facade at the front of the Basilica.

The intricate details of the mosaics in the dome are almost invisible to the naked eye, and can only fully be seen in an enlarged photograph.    However, they form a representation of the Rosary.  Indeed, the entire Basilica is one great celebration of the Rosary.

Lourdes: A Taste of Heaven
  1. The Cachot
  2. 1st Apparition - Bernadette and 'The little lady'
  3. 2nd Apparition - Holy water
  4. 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Apparitions - The promise
  5. 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Apparitions - The spring of water
  6. 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Apparitions - The first healing
  7. 16th Apparition - The name
  8. 17th Apparition - Gathering evidence
  9. 18th and Final Apparition - The Declaration
  10. The Stations of the Cross on the hill, and those alongside the river.
  11. The Crypt of the Basilica
  12. The Lower Basilica (often called The Rosary Basilica)
  13. The Upper Basilica, also called The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
  14. The Torchlight Procession
  15. The Underground Basilica
  16. The Crowned Statue