The Sanctuary

Notre-Dame de Fenestre

At the end of a road that climbs from Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in a cirque of rock and peaks, stands one of the oldest sanctuaries in the southern Alps. La Madone de Fenestre takes its name from a natural opening in the Cayre de la Madone — the imposing rock that dominates the site — through which, according to legend, the Virgin once appeared.

The site has been inhabited for centuries. The Benedictines founded the first sanctuary there in the 9th century. The Templars rebuilt it from ruins in the 13th. It became a refuge and staging post on the old salt route between Nice and Piedmont. Despite fires, wars and harsh winters, it has never ceased to be a place of passage and contemplation.

At the heart of the sanctuary stands a statue of the Virgin in Lebanese cedar, dating from the 12th century. Every year in May, she is carried in procession up from the village. In September, she descends again for winter. This journey between mountain and valley has continued for centuries — and goes on to this day.