EUROPE IMAGES INTERNATIONAL - M5

Synopsis

Between February 11th and 18th this year, Lourdes celebrated the 150th anniversary of Bernadette Soubirous' first vision of the Virgin Mary.

Since then, the number of pilgrims has steadily risen.

Over 6 million hopeful, faithful people visit Lourdes every year.

This quiet town of 15,000 residents is the third busiest shrine for Christian pilgrimages in the world after Rome and Guadalupe, Mexico. A small, medieval town perched on a rock at the foot of the Pyrenees between Spain and France, Lourdes has seen many miracles, not the least of which is the way it has adapted to this incredible flow of people.

Then there is the economic miracle: over 300 stores, 250 hotels, and 600 tons of homemade candles burned every year.

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