Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Penitents of Allègre originated in 1547, when Jean de Mozac, Prior of Crevon, offered his hometown three statues, including a Notre-Dame de Pitié. His brother, Antoine de Mozac, a notable local, then financed the construction of an oratory to accommodate them. This building, now integrated as a chapel choir, quickly attracts pilgrims. In 1650, a nave surmounted by a bell tower with two bells was added, marking the extension of the building.

From 1651 to 1901, the chapel houses the brotherhood of the White Penitents, founded in 1629 and reactivated in 2024. The building, rectangular in plan, presents a choir with cut strips with a cul-de-four apse sheltering the 17th century Virgin of Mercy. A north walled gate, originally reserved for the Marquise de Flaghac, houses two burials, while a funeral frieze with sixteen shields runs along the walls.

In 1914, major works restored the roof and interior decoration. The chapel, classified as a Historic Monument in 1986, retains remarkable furniture: altar, bust-liquary, statues of angels, and liturgical objects. Its history reflects both local devotion and the influence of elites, such as the Mozac or the Marquise of Flaghac, on the religious heritage of Auvergne.

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