It lies in the former province of Quercy. Rocamadour [ 3 ] has attracted visitors for its setting in a gorge above a tributary of the River Dordogne and especially for its historical monuments and its sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary , which for centuries, dating back to the turn of the 12th century, has attracted historical and anonymous pilgrims from many countries, among them kings, bishops and nobles including Henry II of England , Simon de Montfort , Blanche of Castile and Saint Louis IX of France , Saint Dominic and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux , among other illustrious figures.
The town below the complex of monastic buildings and pilgrimage churches , traditionally dependent on the pilgrimage site and now on the tourist trade, lies near the river on the lowest slopes; it gives its name to Rocamadour , a small goat 's-milk cheese that was awarded AOC status in Rocamadour is located in the Lot department in the far north of the Occitanie region. Rocamadour can be reached by car from the A20 autoroute , or by train: Gare de Rocamadour-Padirac on the Brive-la-Gaillarde—Toulouse via Capdenac railway.
Rocamadour is served by two regional airports that provide easy access to the Dordogne Valley. The ancient forms of Rocamadour are Rocamador from , Rupis Amatoris in [ clarify ]. According to Dauzat , the toponym comes from the name of a saint, Amator. According to Gaston Bazalgues, the toponym Rocamadour is a medieval form which originates from Rocamajor. Roca pointed to a rock shelter and major spoke of its importance.
This name would have been Christianized from with the invention of the false hagiotoponym Saint Amadour or Saint Amateur. In , according to the monograph of Edmond Albe, the place was named the castling of Saint Amadour. In , on a map of the diocese of Cahors by Jean Tarde, the name of Roquemadour appeared. The locality L'Hospitalet, overlooking Rocamadour, has a name from espitalet which meant small hospital and has Latin origin hospitalis.
Rocamadour was a dependency of the abbey of Tulle to the north in the Bas Limousin. Flights of steps ascend from the lower town to the churches, a group of massive buildings half-way up the cliff. The chief of them is the pilgrimage church of Notre Dame rebuilt in its present configuration from , containing the cult image at the centre of the site, a wooden Black Madonna reputed to have been carved by Saint Amator Amadour himself.
