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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chapel of the White Penitents, located on Rue Scudery in Apt, was rebuilt between 1650 and 1680 on an older building. Its gypsum ceiling, made in the 1680s, and its interior decoration, completed between the late 17th and mid 18th centuries, testify to its artistic importance. The building preserves a fresco and wooden panels carved by Jacques Bernus (1650-1728), an artist from Mazan.

The northern facade of the chapel rests on a thick wall, vestige of the first medieval wall of Apt. This architectural detail highlights its integration into the city's urban history. Originally a place of worship for the brotherhood of the White Penitents, the building was transformed into a cinema in the 20th century, thus maintaining a cultural function.

In 1969, the Familia cinema, then installed in the chapel, was divided into two rooms (152 and 68 armchairs), then a third (193 seats) was added later. Renamed Cinemovida in 2008, it offers varied programming, combining mainstream films and art and essay. Since 2017, it has been part of the CGR network, while remaining a listed historical monument since 1996.

The chapel is linked to the Scudery family, native to Apt, two famous members of which are Madeleine de Scudery, figure of the Precious, and Georges de Scudery, rival playwright of Corneille. This heritage reflects both the religious, military and cultural history of the region.

Today, the former chapel is owned by a private company. Its official address, 12-14 rue Scudéry, and its ranking at the Historic Monuments make it a remarkable site of the Vaucluse, combining Baroque heritage and cinematic modernity.

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