ABSTRACT
French Revolutionary soldiers removed the Virgin of Le Puy-en-Velay from the high altar of her cathedral and stripped the statue of its mantle and jewels. Despite the absence of the original sculpture, the complicated long life of the Virgin of Le Puy before destruction can be analyzed through surviving copies in sculpture, print, and manuscripts. Le Puy-en-Velay is an ancient settlement; the site upon which the cathedral stands is thought to have been a temple dedicated to Jupiter and before then, a Druid altar. Located on a volcanic outcrop in the rural Auvergne region of France, the stunning landscape draws visitors to the city, making the site an especially important factor in the establishment of the cult of the Virgin there. While the persistent devotion to medieval statue throughout the Middle Ages remains unquestioned, few records of the Virgin of Le Puy survive from the medieval period itself apart from schematic representations on pilgrimage badges.
