Collegiate Church of Saint-Julien

Everything leads us to believe that this chapel, whose origin is mysterious, was built in recognition of some extraordinary grace obtained through the intercession of Notre-Dame-du-Puy... The tradition tells that two travellers in danger on the Rhone had recourse to Notre-Dame-du-Puy... And vowed to have a chapel built on the spot where their boat would land... The vow was fulfilled, and the shipwrecked of the Virgin placed a black statue similar to that of Le Puy (hence the name Notre-Dame de la Mûre or Notre-Dame Noire).

The chapel was mentioned for the first time in the 10th century, then was destroyed in the 16th century during the Wars of Religion and remained in ruins for a long time afterwards. It was rebuilt after 1701, then ruined again during the Revolution... and finally sold as a national asset in 1793. Only the walls remained. Then it was sold in 1810 and covered again, without closing however... In 1854, repairs were made and it was returned to the cult. It was then renovated and enlarged until 1865, with the vault, the apse and the sacristy.

The oldest monument in Valencia, it was consecrated on 5 August 1095 by Pope Urban II. Destroyed during the Wars of Religion, it was rebuilt in the 17th century and its bell tower, which threatened after being struck by lightning, was replaced in the 19th century. The architecture of this cathedral makes it similar to other monuments in Auvergne and Velay, especially the polychrome stone decorations. It has an ambulatory allowing the passage of pilgrims and confirming its role as a stopover church on the road to Santiago de Compostela. The monument to Pope Pius VI, who died in Valencia in 1799, a prisoner of the Directory, has been placed in the heart. It has been classified as a historical monument since 1862

The sanctuary is said to date from the Middle Ages, particularly from the time of the Third Crusade. It originates from the chapel of a fortified castle built on the rocky spur of Ay, which remained the property of the Counts of Tournon for many decades. Inside it was placed a black virgin: the "Virgin of Ay" also called "Our Lady of Ay".