Places of Worship

The sanctuary premisses has several places for worshiping and celebration, as well as important locations for pilgrimages. The most important places in the sanctuary are:

The Massiabelle Grotto

It is the place where the apparitions took place between February and July 1858.  The grotto consist on three different cavities. The biggest one is where mass is celebrated. The image of Virgin Mary is located on the right side, a six feet high cave. This is the actual location where she appeared to Bernadette.

The fountain found by the young woman following the instructions of the Virgin can be seen on the left side of the altar.

The Inmaculate Conception Basilica

Located on top of the Grotto.  On the right side of the entrance, there is an engraving in a marble plaque made by Monsignor Laurence that declares the authenticity of the apparitions.

This basilica and the Grotto are the original sanctuary. Later on, new additions became part of the churches and buildings set that we can see today.

Our Lady of the Rosary Basi­lica

With a capacity for 1,500 people, the name comes from the 15 mosaics that represent scenes of the mysteries in the rosary.  It was declared artistic monument and together they have the shape of a crown of roses, what it is a rosary.  It continuously experiences damages due to the water leaks.

The Crypt

It was the first chapel in the sanctuary. It was built to answer the Virgin´s requests to Bernedette during the 13th apparition.  It is a place for personal and silent worship.

Saint Pius X Basilica

It is an underground basilica and it was const

ructed to celebrate the centennial of the apparitions. In addition to this, it also served to accommodate the needs of the countless pilgrimage groups that arrive every year. It has a capacity for 25,000 people.

Saint Bernardette Church

It is a Modern building that was erected in the place where Bernedette saw the last apparition. On that day, the police closed the entrance to the Grotto and did not allow access to it.

The Esplanade

It has a capacity for 40,000 people and gets all the splendor at night fall, when thousands of pilgrims take part in the Torchlight Marian Procession takes place

MASSIABELLE GROTTO	OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY BASILICA		INMACULATE CONCEPTION BASILICA
THE CRYPT	SAINT PIUS X BASILICA	SAINT BERNADETTE CHURCH	THE ESPLANADE