Official places of worship have not always been sufficient to express the popular faith anywhere on the planet. They simply ordered and channeled it. Springs, trees, menhirs or ancient stelae have been Christianized here, in order to preserve devotion while redirecting it.
But over the centuries popular fervour has produced new sacred places. Here it is a rock that would retain the imprint of a saint's foot, there it is his hermitage. Further away, it is the place of an execution or a massacre. The walker sometimes discovers these places where the presence of a modest bouquet of flowers testifies to the survival of a forgotten cult.
The collective heritage is also formed by these discreet places, often ignored by tourist guides and the general public where beliefs are exercised. Their knowledge is the first step in order to respect our heritage.
Yannick Loukianoff
