Cluny Abbey
Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France Christianity
Mother abbey of the Cluniac movement, one of medieval Europe’s most influential monastic institutions and a major sacred heritage site.
The World’s Sacred Places
Sacred Places
Discover a curated guide to significant sacred places, pilgrimage traditions, architecture, documented history and practical visitor information across cultures and faith traditions.
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Curated Discovery
Sacred Places
Browse Sacred Places selected for Templestan’s public collection.
Abbey of Cîteaux
Saint-Nicolas-lès-Cîteaux, Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France Christianity
Birthplace and mother abbey of the Cistercian Order, founded in 1098 and still home to a monastic community.
Abbey of Sénanque
Gordes, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France Christianity
Active 12th-century Cistercian abbey in Provence, internationally known for its preserved Romanesque monastic architecture and continuing religious life.
Abbey of Gellone, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault, Occitanie, France Christianity
Historic abbey on a major pilgrimage route, associated with St. Guilhem and medieval veneration of a relic of the True Cross.
Basilica of Saint-Martin, Tours
Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France Christianity
Major French pilgrimage basilica built over the tomb of St. Martin of Tours, one of the most influential saints of late antiquity…
Fontenay Abbey
Marmagne, Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France Christianity
UNESCO-listed Cistercian abbey founded by St. Bernard, one of the finest surviving architectural expressions of early Cistercian ideals.
Chapel of Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe
Aiguilhe, Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Christianity
Exceptional pilgrimage chapel perched on a volcanic plug near Le Puy, founded in the 10th century and dedicated to St. Michael.
Basilica of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse
Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, Occitanie, France Christianity
Monumental Romanesque pilgrimage basilica on the Via Tolosana, built around the cult and relics of Toulouse’s first bishop, St. Saturnin.
Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy, Conques
Conques-en-Rouergue, Aveyron, Occitanie, France Christianity
Great Romanesque pilgrimage church on the Camino route, built to receive pilgrims venerating the relics of St. Foy.
Le Puy Cathedral
Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Christianity
Historic Marian pilgrimage cathedral and one of the principal French starting points of the Camino de Santiago, especially the Via Podiensis.
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Lyon, Métropole de Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Christianity
Major Marian sanctuary overlooking Lyon, combining pilgrimage, active Catholic worship and a distinctive 19th-century basilica.
Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde
Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France Christianity
Marseille’s emblematic Marian basilica, a historic pilgrimage site especially associated with sailors and maritime ex-voto traditions.