Villavard: Galleries, Cycling Route and Pilgrimage History

Villavard can be explored through several different themes: a guided tour of underground galleries, a circular cycling route with a stop at a mushroom farm, and the story of the Black Madonna. This offers different ways to shape your stay—from a guided visit and a cycling tour with a specified distance to an interest in cultural history. The following details about the area can help you choose the focus that best suits your travel plans.

Guided underground tour

The guided tour of Val Saint André takes place in 3.5 km of underground galleries carved into tuff. During the visit, you’ll see crops of button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shiitake. The galleries and the three types of mushrooms are two specific aspects of the same visit. If you’re interested in a tour with a clearly defined theme, this activity combines underground galleries with a presentation of the mushroom crops. Unlike the circular cycling route, the focus here is on the guided tour and the mushrooms on display.

Cycling the circular route

The “De Lavardin à Sasnières par les troglos” circular cycling route is 28.0 km long and is listed as taking 2 hours and 30 minutes. The distance and estimated duration provide two specific points of reference for planning. In Villavard, the route includes a stop at a mushroom farm; there is also a route information board in the village. The stop and the board are two separate points of reference along the route. Check the local operating conditions for the stop before setting off.

The story of the Black Madonna

The Black Madonna of Villavard was inspired by Notre-Dame de Sous-Terre in Chartres. For 40 years, she was hidden in a cellar in La Cochetière; in 1844, she was returned to worship. The pilgrimage of Villavard originated in connection with a miracle. The story thus includes a connection to Chartres, a long period in hiding and a return to worship; the pilgrimage adds another religious dimension. For travelers interested in the religious history of the area, this offers a different perspective from the activities associated with the galleries and cycling route.

A detail of the church furnishings

In the north aisle of the church in Villavard is an 18th-century wooden Banc d'œuvre. Its material, location and date make this furnishing a tangible feature. While the Black Madonna is associated with a historical tradition and a pilgrimage, the Banc d'œuvre draws attention to a specific object among the church furnishings. Together, a religious history and a dated feature of the church interior add to the cultural points of interest in the area.

The different highlights offer different kinds of experience: Val Saint André combines a guided tour, underground galleries and mushroom crops on display; the circular cycling route has a specified length and duration; the Madonna and the Banc d'œuvre represent religious history and church furnishings. You can choose whether to focus mainly on a guided activity, a cycling tour with a set duration, or Villavard’s historical connections.

Discover more destinations: Sambin, Cour-Sur-Loire, Monthou-Sur-Cher, Villeherviers, Souesmes, Chitenay, Fougères-Sur-Bièvre, Cheverny

For the broader travel guide: Loir-Et-Cher.