Lourdes
Commune in Occitania, France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lourdes (/lʊərd/,[3] also US: /lʊərdz/,[4][5] French: [luʁd]; Occitan: Lorda [ˈluɾðɔ]) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France.[6] Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its center.
Lourdes
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Coordinates: 43°5′39″N 0°2′49″W | |
Country | France |
Region | Occitania |
Department | Hautes-Pyrénées |
Arrondissement | Argelès-Gazost |
Canton | Lourdes-1 and 2 |
Intercommunality | CA Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Thierry Lavit[1] |
Area 1 | 36.94 km2 (14.26 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 13,509 |
• Density | 370/km2 (950/sq mi) |
Demonym | Lourdais |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 65286 /65100 |
Elevation | 343–960 m (1,125–3,150 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
In 1858, Lourdes rose to prominence in France and abroad due to the Marian apparitions to the peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous (who was later canonized for her virtuous life). Shortly thereafter, the city and its Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes became one of the world's most important sites of pilgrimage and religious tourism.