Le Puy-en-Velay - Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

The town holds a famous Jubilee in years when the feast of the Annunciation falls on Good Friday. The Jubilee of Le Puy in French Wikipedia. This occurred last in 2005, will occur next in 2016 but the subsequent occurrence will not be until 2157. The Jubilee of Le Puy is the oldest aside from those of Rome and Jerusalem, taking its original cue from the predictions of a monk Bernhard who predicted the end of the world in 992 when the feast of the Annunciation would fall on Good Friday. The number of pilgrims to Le Puy was so remarkable that, after the dread date had safely passed, Pope John XV declared that each such date would be marked by a Jubilee.The first such anniversary occurred in 1065. In the Jubilee of 1407, the press of the crowd was so great that two hundred pilgrims suffocated. Of three Jubilees in the twentieth century, the Jubilee of 1932 attracted over 300,000 pilgrims.

Le Puy has hosted Le Tour de France on six occasions. In 1954, it was the finish town of stage 15, from Millau, which was won by Dominique Forlini. The next day, Jean Forestier won the race from Le Puy to Lyon. The race would not return until 1990, when the riders retraced their predecessors steps towards Millau. Marino Lejarreta won the day. In 1996 the town would again host two stages, stage 12 from Valence, won by Pascal Richard, and stage 13 to Super-Besse, won by Rolf Sørensen. Most recently, Giuseppe Guerini won the stage from Issoire in 2005.

It is famous for its lace-making.