Le Cachot is a former dungeon where St. Bernadette Soubirous and her poverty-stricken family were forced to live in 1857. She is one of the most notable figures in the religious history of Lourdes and is said to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary 18 times. Embark on a guided tour for a closer look at the squalid conditions in which Bernadette and her family lived.
Look around the one-room building where the entire family lived for almost a year. Simple windows with wooden frames throw light on the cross and fireplace adorning a plain wall. Imagine the daily life of the Soubirous family in this room that measures only 172 square feet (16 square meters).
Chat with the docent about the venerated saint’s life. Legends say that she left the house in February in pursuit of dry wood, before stumbling upon the miraculous apparition for the first time in the nearby Massabielle Cave.
Find out about the earlier history of the building, which was initially used as a prison that became so decrepit it was moved elsewhere. The word “cachot” translates literally as “dungeon.”
Learn more about the Soubirous family and their venerated daughter by taking the “In the Footsteps of Bernadette” route through Lourdes. It includes La Maison Natale, the Hospice Sainte Bernadette and the Musée Sainte Bernadette.
Note that the site is open to the public daily in summer from morning until early evening, with a break for lunch. In winter, it opens only in the late afternoon.
Le Cachot is in the heart of the Old Town district of Lourdes. Get around the plazas and narrow alleys of the historic center on foot. Visit some of the surrounding highlights, such as the Musée de Cire, the Château Fort Musée Pyrénéen and the Chemin de Croix.
