Le Puy-en-Velay: A Historic Journey in Provence

I have an exciting few weeks coming up! After a quick visit to New York City to look at museums and see old friends, Tim and I travel to Provence for a week of art, history, and rest. After this time in Provence, I continue to Florence, Italy for a ten day sculpture workshop with my sculpting mentor, Simon Kogan. One of our destinations during our time in Provence is the town of Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne region. For centuries, Le Puy has been the French starting point for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrimage taken by many Christians throughout history–including Charlemagne, six popes and many saints. Even today, pilgrims are blessed each morning at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy. We will be taking a walking tour throughout the city to see the major sacred artifacts and sites, not least of which is the statue of Notre-Dame de France (the Virgin Mary), created by Jean-Marie Bonnassieux for the town in 1860. I’m anticipating that being in a place with such spiritual history will be very meaningful for me, and following the steps of so many Christians seeking forgiveness, inspiration, to encounter something holy will be a powerful experience.