A medieval château perches high on the cliff above Rocamadour, France. Pilgrims have been coming to the town, home of a rare and mystique-shrouded Black Virgin, for centuries. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
The Courtyard of the Churches is ringed by five chapels, a basilica and a crypt. The French village has long been a station on the pilgrimage trail, the faithful drawn to a statue of the Black Virgin. The statues are believed to act -- sometimes miraculously -- on behalf of those who seek help from the Virgin Mary. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
The Museum of Sacred Art towers over other buildings in the medieval pilgrimage community. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
A 17th century gilded screen is a focal point inside the 13th century Ste.-Anne chapel in Rocamadour. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
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Modern-day pilgrims can dine on salmon tartare and other local specialties at the Restaurant du Château, one of the region’s gourmet destinations. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
A visitor admires the stone work in the Romanesque cloister of the Abbey of St.-Pierre in Moissac, France. The 12th century Benedictine abbey and church boast one of the most outstanding carved walls, called tympanum, of Romanesque art. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
Visitors wander the medieval quarter of the French town, which is home to dazzling, centuries-old religious art. (Ann Herold / For The Times)
