Sanctuary & the Basilica of St Pius X

 Here we are at Lourdes. Our next stop is to visit the Sanctuary & the Basilica of St Pius X, the world's largest underground church.

The Basilica was designed by the architect Pierre Vago. The nave is oval, 191 metres (627 ft) long and 61 metres (200 ft) wide, and slopes gently upwards from the centre, where the sanctuary is situated on a raised platform. The ceiling is low, at only 10 metres (33 ft) high, and is supported by 58 pre-stressed concrete pillars which meet 29 concrete beams which cross the ceiling, giving it the impression of an upturned ship.

The Basilica of St. Pius X, known as the Underground Basilica, is a large Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, located in the town of Lourdes, France. It is part of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes is a major Catholic pilgrimage site and the Catholic Church endorses the belief that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous there

 The walls are decorated with the Stations of the Cross, a depiction of the Rosary, and a depiction of the Apparitions, making a total of 52 images, all in the gemmail style of overlapping stained glass. On the Eastern ramp are the fifteen station of the Path of Burning Love. Pictures of the saints too- amazing. I wish we had more time in the church.