The Three Cities Trilogy: Lourdes is a novel by Emile Zola that tells the story of a young woman named Bernadette Soubirous who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the town of Lourdes in France. The novel follows Bernadette's experiences as she becomes a religious figure and draws crowds of pilgrims to the site of her vision. The story also explores the themes of faith, miracles, and the power of religion in society. Zola's writing is known for its realism and social commentary, and this novel is no exception. It is the first book in a trilogy that also includes Rome and Paris, which explore the same themes in different settings. Overall, The Three Cities Trilogy: Lourdes is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that explores the intersection of religion and society in a compelling way.In front, on the east, was Old Lourdes, lying in a broad fold of the ground beyond a rock. The sun was rising behind the distant mountains, and its oblique rays clearly outlined the dark lilac mass of that solitary rock, which was crowned by the tower and crumbling walls of the ancient castle, once the redoubtable key of the seven valleys. Through the dancing, golden dust you discerned little of the ruined pile except some stately outlines, some huge blocks of building which looked as though reared by Cyclopean hands; and beyond the rock you but vaguely distinguished the discoloured, intermingled house-roofs of the old town.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.