Photo: DKrieger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · editedBasilique de Vézelay
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FrDr · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Why go
- The main portal’s tympanum shows Christ sending the Apostles to spread Christianity.
- Relics attributed to Mary Magdalene can be seen inside the basilica.
Opening hours
Today07:00 – 20:00Show all
Don't miss
- Portal tympanumChrist in glory sends the Apostles; lower compartments show peoples who received the Gospels, and an upper one shows two lepers comparing healed limbs.Portal tympanum
- Narthex-to-choir passageMove from the narthex through the nave to the progressively brighter choir.From the narthex through the nave to the choir
Know before you go
- Open Tuesday–Sunday, 07:00–20:00; Monday, 08:00–20:00.
- Individual visits require no reservation. Visitors may explore independently, except during prayer times; avoid moving around during services.
Services and visiting hours
- Worship
- Religious services take place several times a day.
- Spiritual guidance and confession
- A priest is available.
- Eucharistic adoration
- Offered at the basilica.
- Liturgical services
- Provided by the Jerusalem Monastic Fraternities since 1993.
Interesting facts2
-
120 metres
The basilica has three aisles and measures 120 metres in exterior length.
Ste-Marie-Madeleine (Vézelay) - Wikipedia -
1925
The church has held the title of minor basilica since 1925.
Ste-Marie-Madeleine (Vézelay) - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Vézelay was a starting point for one of the four major French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.
- 9th c.Badilo refounded the abbey under the reformed Benedictine order of Cluny.
- 1037Abbot Geoffroy had freed captives’ votive chains melted into railings around Mary Magdalene’s altar.
- 1104The new abbey church’s choir and transept were dedicated.
- 1120–1150Construction of the Romanesque abbey church.
- 1146Saint Bernard of Clairvaux preached in support of a second crusade at Vézelay.
Show all
- 1166Thomas Becket preached at Vézelay while in exile, warning Henry II’s supporters of excommunication.
- 1190Richard I of England and Philip II of France met at the abbey before leaving for the Third Crusade.
- 1569Huguenots sacked the building.
- 1834Prosper Mérimée warned that the abbey was close to collapse.
- 1840Restoration under Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began; damaged sculpture was replaced and the west portal recreated.
- 1979The church and hill became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Sources: Vézelay Abbey - Wikipedia · Accueil - Basilique de Vézelay · Visites de la basilique - Basilique de Vézelay · Visites individuelles sans réservation - Basili… · Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay - W… · Ste-Marie-Madeleine (Vézelay) - Wikipedia · checked 7 Oct 2026
- Website
- basiliquedevezelay.org/
- Phone
- +33 3 86 33 39 50
Questions and answers
Where is the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay?
It is at 24 Rue Saint-Pierre, Vézelay, Yonne, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Is the basilica still a place of worship?
Yes. The Jerusalem Monastic Fraternities have provided its liturgical service since 1993.
How do I join a guided tour of the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine?
Tours start at 14:30 in the narthex. Arrive five minutes early and check which tours are planned during your stay.
Can a group book a guided visit to the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine?
Groups of 10 or more can book a guided visit with a brother or sister of the Jerusalem Monastic Fraternities.
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