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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hermitage Notre-Dame de Font-Romeu, located in Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via in the Pyrénées-Orientales, has its origin around a Romanesque statue of the Virgin discovered on site, transforming the site into a major pilgrimage centre from the Middle Ages. The current buildings, organized around a rectangular courtyard closed by the Notre Dame Chapel, were built in the seventeenth century (completed in 1686) and expanded in the eighteenth century. The chapel, sober outside, contains exceptional baroque furniture, including a altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin Mary, made between 1704 and 1707 by Catalan sculptor Joseph Sunyer, whose son rests in the building.

The site houses a comaril, a square room of 4 m by 4 richly decorated, next to the chapel and separated by the altarpiece. This living room, raised in the 18th century at the site of the primitive oratory, protects the Romanesque statue of the Virgin (12th century) and was decorated by Joseph Sunyer before 1734. Its furniture, classified as a historic monument since 1928, bears witness to the artistic and religious importance of the place. A fountain with miraculous virtues, dated from the middle of the eighteenth century, completes the ensemble, evoked by ex-votos preserved in the chapel.

The hermitage perpetuates a pastoral tradition linked to the transhumances: the statue of the Virgin descended in procession on September 8 (or on the near Sunday) towards the church of Odeillo for the winter, then ascended in the spring (Sunday of the Trinity). This rite, inspired by the seasonal movements of the shepherds, could explain the hollow shape of the back of the statue, facilitating its transport. The name Font-Romeu (Pilgrim's house) also recalls this story, linked to the reception of travellers to Santiago or Rome.

Partially classified as historical monuments in 1999 (façades, roofs, chapel, camaril and retable), the hermitage illustrates the religious and artistic heritage of the Pyrénées-Orientales. The 18th century works, such as the addition of foothills in 1741, and the interior decoration of the camaril by Joseph Sunyer and the painter Félix Escriba (member of the Saint-Luc Brotherhood) underline his architectural evolution. A communal property, the site remains a symbol of devotion and occitane culture.

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