Pèlerinage de sainte Marie-Madeleine
Vézelay's pilgrimage on the feast of Mary Magdalene, whose relics drew medieval crowds to the hill.
- Tradition
- Vézelay
- 1 h 28 from Beaune
- Free entry
€320one way from Beaune with a private driver
Book a driver
At a glance
- Entry
- Free
- Official website
- yonne.catholique.fr
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 28 by road (125 km), €320 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
Every 22 July, pilgrims gather at the basilica of Vézelay for the feast of Mary Magdalene, whose relics made the hill one of the great pilgrimage sites of medieval Europe. The diocese of Sens and Auxerre lists it among the pilgrimages of the Yonne, with the Sanctuaire de Vézelay as its contact, and it is open to all.
What to expect
The day is a religious occasion first, centred on celebrations in the basilica where the relics of Mary Magdalene are kept. Visitors of any faith are welcome to join or simply to watch with respect, and to see Vézelay as it was meant to be seen, as a place of pilgrimage rather than only a monument.
History
According to the chronicle, around 880 the monk Badilon travelled to Provence and brought back relics of Mary Magdalene, and crowds of pilgrims followed through the Middle Ages. Saint Louis came to Vézelay in 1267 to recognise the relics. The pilgrimage faded after Protestant looting at the end of the 16th century and revived in the 1870s, when relics kept at Sens were returned to Vézelay.
In 2016 Pope Francis raised 22 July from a memorial to a full feast. The 2026 pilgrimage marked 80 years since the 'croisade de la Paix' of 1946.
Good to know
Tips for the day
The diocese publishes the programme a few weeks before. Dress modestly and keep noise down during services. Vézelay is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaune, and a driver can drop you as close to the basilica as access allows.
Around here
What to combine with Pèlerinage de sainte Marie-Madeleine on the same day, nearest first.
- Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Wine festival
Les Vin’dredis de la Halle
Friday evenings through the summer, from late MayGevrey-Chambertin - Culture
Lumières à Beaune
Every evening from late June to late September, and from the Vente des Vins weekend in November to early JanuaryBeaune
- Food & markets
Fête de l’Automne et des Associations du Morvan
A weekend in early OctoberSaint-Brisson
Irancy
28 km away
- Abbey or church
Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay
1 km away
Questions
The 2027 dates of Pèlerinage de sainte Marie-Madeleine have not been announced yet. Usual timing: every year on 22 July, the feast of Mary Magdalene.. The organiser publishes them on yonne.catholique.fr.
Did you know? On the night of 29 June 1898 the relics were stolen from Vézelay; they reappeared that December, left on a grave in the cemetery of Briare.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.