Tiny Orcival is a peaceable spot, despite the beastly origins of its name (the village is named for ‘vallée de l’ours’, ‘bear valley’). Today, this mountain-set village largely lures hikers and skiers. But since the 6th century, pilgrims have also been drawn to this unassuming spot. The reason lies deep within its stately slate-grey Romanesque masterpiece, the Basilique Notre-Dame. The structure standing today, with its octagonal belltower, was built on top of sacred tombs wrecked by Norman invaders. Since the 12th-century rebuild it has stood unchanged, a graceful silhouette watching over this otherwise sleepy village. The basilica’s beauty is best revealed in minuscule details, like animal and human-headed hinges fastening the south door to its frame. Within, the crypt keeps safe the Lady of Orcival icon, the focus of Ascension Day pilgrimages here.
