The capital of Pays d'Auge and one of the oldest towns in Normandy, Lisieux is above all famous for St. Thérèse, a religious figure who continues to shape the town's identity. Born in 1873, deceased in Lisieux at the age of 24 and canonised in 1925, Marie-Françoise Thérèse Martin was considered, in the words of Pius X, as "the greatest saint of modern times". The basilica erected in her honour to contain her relics attracts some 600,000 visitors every year.
As the number two pilgrimage town in France, after Lourdes, Lisieux invites you to discover its rich religious heritage, with its unmissable Basilica of St. Thérèse, remarkable by day for its imposing proportions and by night for its blue-tinged illuminations. In the Romano-Byzantine style, with some Art Deco touches, it has splendid mosaics in its nave and crypt. Its vaulted ceiling is 37 metres high and the top of the dome, almost 100 metres high, can be reached by climbing the 300 steps. This building, one of the most monumental churches of the 20th century, took eight years to build, from 1929 to 1937.
The Cathedral of St. Peter, meanwhile, is in the Gothic style and was built from the 12th to 16th centuries. Its tall and high nave is richly decorated with 18th-century paintings, 15th-century bas-reliefs, 13th-century stained glass windows and 17th-century statues. Near the cathedral, you can take a stroll in the charming Bishop's Palace garden. This vast green space has been landscaped as a French formal garden which, local legend has it, was designed by Le Nôtre, the famous gardener to King Louis XIV.
There are walks through the town for visitors to discover typical houses and old private mansions. An itinerary shown by a blue line on the ground lets them follow in the footsteps of St. Thérèse (her house, the Carmel, the basilica), while another trail tells the story of medieval Lisieux.
The Museum of Art and History, which has earned Musée de France certification, is located in one of the last remaining timber-framed houses in Lisieux. It tells the story of the town from Antiquity to the present day, emphasising its key periods (medieval town, textile town, reconstruction…)
