Rocamadour is a picturesque town, chateau, and cluster of churches built into the side of a cliff in southwestern France overlooking a steep gorge with a tributary of the river Dordogne winding through the valley. It has been a pilgrimage site since before 1,000 AD and is shrouded in legends and stories of miracles.

According to legend, Rocamadour was founded by St. Amadour who was the husband of St. Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus as he carried the cross up the hill at Calvary during his crucifixion. Some of the stories say he was the same man as Zacheus, the tax collector from Jerico in the biblical gospel of Luke. St. Amadour witnessed the martyrdoms of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome. After his wife passed, he returned to France and built a chapel in Rocamadour to honor the blessed virgin. There he carved a wooden statue known as the Black Madonna.

Some time later he passed away but his body was discovered after hundreds of years in 1160, still fully intact. When the body was placed near the altar, miracles began to occur. The miracles are also said to emanate from the wooden Madonna and range from healings, to protecting sailors, and rescuing victims from thieves.

Near the church of Notre Dame at Rocamadour, there is also a sword embedded in the rock that is said to be Durendal, the unbreakable, mystical sword of the palladin Roland. The sword is said to have been originally given to Charlemagne by an angel and to have contained a tooth from Saint Peter, the blood of Saint Basil, hair from Saint Denis, and a piece cloth from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Roland was a knight of King Charlemagne and fought so heroically at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass that his legacy was passed down through history as the Song of Roland. When he finally died in the battle, he flung his sword so that his assailants would not take it and it became embedded in the stone.

At the top of the cliff is the chateau overlooking the town and the valley below. The chateau has a tall clocktower on one side and a manicured garden in the center. For 2 EUR you can take the stairs up the ramparts and walk along the walls. The view is absolutely spectacular so I highly recommend it!

Whether or not you believe the legends, the area is beautiful and the history is fun and intriguing.