Are you going on vacation in the Médoc to Soulac-sur-Mer? During your stay by the beach, also take the time to discover the city’s heritage, such as its church from another century. Welcome to the Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres Basilica, one of the must-see monuments of Soulac. Camping le Vieux-Moulin presents its history to you before you come to New Aquitaine to discover it.
Origin of the Notre-Dame-de-la-End-des-Terres Basilica: an oratory in homage to the Virgin
Different traditions trace the origin of this church to the legend of Saint Veronica. It was after the death of the Virgin that Saint-Véronique, her husband Saint-Amadour and their companion Saint-Martial would have come from Palestine to Soulac with the aim of evangelizing the village. Once the evangelization was completed, the saints would have built an oratory in which a relic from the Holy Land was placed in order to pay homage to the deceased Virgin. However, no archaeological excavation has been able to prove this legend.
Construction of the church: a monument dedicated to Saint Veronica
If the oratory would have been present thanks to Sainte-Véronique, Saint-Amadour and Saint-Martial, it was probably only at the beginning of the Middle Ages that the church was actually built. It is then estimated that the construction of this building was carried out by pilgrims coming from English lands in the 11th-12th century. The monument is built to serve as a pilgrimage church and allows worshipers to easily move around the relics.
Unfortunately, from this time on, the dune massifs experienced constant movement due to westerly winds and then caused the building to progressively silt up. Work was then planned to try to slow down this phenomenon but failed to save the monument from the elements and the Notre-Dame-de-la-End-des-Terres Basilica found itself under the sand.
The Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres Basilica under the sand: removal of sand from an exceptional heritage
It was not only the Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres Basilica which was submerged in sand, it was the entire village which had to be evacuated in 1741. Another village was built a few kilometers to the east of the old where the faithful gather around a makeshift church. But they then left the basilica abandoned, which ended up completely disappearing into the sand.
More than a century has passed since the Notre-Dame-de-la-End-des-Terres Basilica was completely silted up when a project was set up to free the monument from the sand. Part of it is in ruins and the other part of the church remains buried forever.
Visit to the Basilica in Soulac-sur-Mer
If the Notre-Dame-de-la-End-des-Terres Basilica has been classified as a historic monument since the 19th century, it was in 1998 that it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. The church is today open to the public who can discover it during holidays in the Médoc in Gironde. On the other hand, it is still possible to note that the monument will never be completely visible to humans because the original ground is still 7 meters lower than that on which tourists currently walk.
Where to stay to enjoy a visit to this church in Soulac-sur-Mer?
If you would like to discover this church which is a stopover on the road to Santiago de Compostela, it is possible to book a hotel or gîte. But why not opt for a more original option: a camping holiday in Soulac in the southwest of France. This is what the Vieux-Moulin campsite offers you to allow you to enjoy tourism in Soulac by discovering each beach and each monument of the town. Are you up for it? Our team is your guide to discover the city during your stay in New Aquitaine!
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