A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THROUGH FRANCE
SAY FRANCE AND WHAT COMES TO mind are fashion and food, and the adjectives fabulous and fantastic. France is all that and more, and even after the Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan terror attacks of 2015, France is still top of the list of places to visit. France welcomed 82.5 million international visitors in 2016.
But there is much more to see and experience in France, and recently the embassy of France in the Philippines and Atout France, the French Tourism Development Agency, put the focus on Christian pilgrimages in a series of presentations in Manila and Cebu.
French Ambassador Thierry Mathou cited the potential of the Philippines as a market for French spiritual tourism, noting that “promoting France, the top tourist destination worldwide in terms of arrivals, in the Philippines is strategic because the country is a fast-growing market in Asia for tourism.”
“We are already the top European destination for Filipino travelers, and we are committed to maintaining this leading position,” he added.
According to Mathou, tourism is a strategic sector for the Philippines. “In the context of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries and the launch of our ‘PhilFrance: Feel French!’ festival, our intention is to promote the development of tourism both ways. This is the reason why we are actively discussing with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to implement the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the two countries in 2015 in the sector of tourism.”
The MOA between the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development and the DOT, signed during the state visit of French President François Hollande to the Philippines, seeks to provide a framework for increased cooperation in the tourism sector.
Almost 70,000 Filipino tourists visited France last year despite the lack of direct flights. The Philippines being the 3rd largest Catholic country in the world is a large potential market for France’s spiritual tourism, particularly three sites significant for the Catholic faithful.
Avignon
One of the must-visit places for a spiritual journey in France is Avignon, capital of the Christian world in the Middle Ages, which lies in the heart of Provence.
In the center of the city is the Palace of the Popes, the largest Gothic palace and the residence of nine popes during the 14th century. Located near the famed Pont d’Avignon, the palace was built by Pope Benedict XII and Pope Clement VI and was a symbol of the power of Christianity during the Middle Ages.
Visitors to the palace get to see 25 rooms: the great ceremonial rooms used for feasts and formal occasions, the chapels with their frescoes, the private apartments of the pope and the upper terraces which provide such magnificent views of the city of Avignon and the Rhône River.
Priceless frescoes remain in the chapels and papal apartments, providing insight into the innovative artistic work of the French and Italian schools of painting. History meets technology with the Histopad, a tablet available at the Palace of the Popes that gives visitors the chance to experience the palace with augmented reality. Histopad content has been developed in six languages (French, English, Chinese, German, Italian and Spanish) as well as sign language. It gives the user a step into the past through cutting edge technology. Avignon is also the perfect place for foodies who want to try Provençal cuisine, with many notable restaurants ofand fering both traditional and contemporary cuisine.
Avignon’s market, Les Halles, offers fresh produce and regional products. As the capital of Côtes du Rhône wines, Avignon is likewise the place to be for those who want a taste of the famed French wine culture.
Lisieux
Found in the heart of Normandy, Lisieux is known as the town of Saint Thérèse. The Basilica of Saint Thérèse is one of the largest churches built in the 20th century and has been classified as a historical monument since 2011. The sanctuary holds an annual celebration on the Feast of Saint Therese lasting 10 days, starting on the last weekend in September, highlighted by processions of the saint’s relics.
Therese was canonized in 1925, while her parents were canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, making Lisieux the only town in the world to host the relics of three saints from the same family.
The relics of Therese can be seen in the upper basilica and the Carmel de Lisieux, those of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin in the crypt of the basilica.
Aside from the basilica and the Carmel chapel, pilgrims can visit the Misericordia Cloister; a wax museum presenting the life of Saint Therese; Les Buissonnets, Saint Therese’s childhood home; and Saint-Pierre Cathedral, the Martin family’s parish church.
The ideal location of Lisieux also makes it a good place to stay when exploring Normandy and the Auge region, which is well known for its manor houses and its culinary delights.
Lourdes
Lourdes is situated close to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, one of the most majestic summits of the Pyrenees, at an altitude of 2877 meters. It is among the most important sites of Christian spirituality in the world, since the appearance of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.
Among the must-see places in Lourdes is the Notre Dame of Lourdes shrine, which receives millions of visitors from all over the world every year. From April to October, visitors gather in the evening for a torch-lit procession. During this time, there are masses held in various languages. From November to March, a rosary vigil by candlelight is held. A new offering this year is the Path of the Magnificat.
Lourdes comes second only to Paris in terms of hotel capacity and has a range of quality accommodations on offer, ranging from 1 to 4 stars.
Its geographical location makes it a first-class tourist destination and the ideal starting point from which to explore the key sites of the Pyrenees, such as the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Pont d’Espagne near Cauterets and the Cirque de Gavarnie.
A pilgrim’s journey
France is home to 50,000 religious buildings, among which 10,000 are listed as Protected Historical Monuments. Among 42 UNESCO world heritage sites in France, 11 of them are religious: Abbey Church of Saint-Savin our Gartempe, Amiens Cathedral, Bourges Cathedral, Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Chartres Cathedral, Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, Episcopal City of Albi, Historic Centre of Avignon, Mont-Saint-Michel, routes of Santiago de Compostela and Vezelay Church.
With 44 percent of all its tourism spiritual in nature, France offers everything from the grandest cathedrals to the most humble chapels, offering pilgrims a respite as they search for meaning and spiritual enlightenment, recharge and learn more about their religious heritage.