Saint Michel Basilica

Big surprise ! The Saint Michel Basilica is also a classified UNESCO World Heritage Site, just like half of Bordeaux. It was built between the 15th and 16th centuries in a flamboyant Gothic style. It became a major stopover for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. As with Saint-André cathedral and its Pey Berland tower, you can see here that the bell tower is built next to the church, so as not to weaken its structure. This is once again because of the marshy ground. Vibrations from the bells could have caused the Basilica to collapse! You have to admit, that would have been a shame! It’s the third tallest bell tower in France behind those of Strasbourg and Rouen, and it offers you a breathtaking view of Bordeaux! However, its reputation stems not only from the fact that it is detached from the basilica, but also from the stories surrounding its crypt, mummies and macabre stagings. When the town undertook the creation of Meynard square, they had to exhume several bodies from a nearby cemetery. For decades, 70 very well preserved mummies were exhibited in a circular manner in the crypt, accompanied by small descriptive panels to help visitors learn more about them: here’s the family poisoned by mushrooms, the buried alive, and so on! It was definitely gloomy, but fascinating for great literary figures like Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Théophile Gautier and even Céline, who all came to the crypt for inspiration! If you’re interested in visiting it, let me tell you they are no longer there. The mummies were moved to Chartreuse cemetery in 1979 as exposure to air deteriorated them. The church was at first listed as historic monument in 1846, then became a minor basilica in 1903, to finally be included to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites as part of the Pilgrimage Route to Santiago de Compostela in 1998.