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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Hippolyte-du-Bouchier, located in Saint-Martin-de-Queyries in the Hautes-Alpes, is a religious building built between the second half of the 15th century and the first quarter of the 16th century. Its architecture is distinguished by a nave of a span covered by a ceiling, extended by a vaulted apse in cul-de-four. The original facade, now extinct, supported a bell tower with two bays, now in retreat after the lengthening of the nave. The materials used, such as the braided tuf, and the painted decorations (including a date of 1509 on the triumphal arch) testify to its stylistic evolution between late Gothic and early Renaissance.

The site is mentioned as early as 1118 in the cartular of Oulx, revealing its seniority as a place of worship. At the end of the Middle Ages, the chapel was an active pilgrimage, attracting the local faithful. The interior frescoes, partially dated from the late 15th or early 16th century, as well as the bandage covering the walls, underline its role both spiritual and artistic. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1990, it now belongs to the commune and retains tangible traces of its past function, between devotion and local heritage.

The transformation of the façade and the movement of the bell tower illustrate successive remodellings, probably linked to the influx of pilgrims or liturgical needs. The use of tuff, local volcanic stone, and the simplicity of the bell tower arches reflect regional resources and know-how. Although the archives are lacking on its founders, the building embodies alpine rural piety and architectural adaptations typical of mountain shrines between two hinged periods.

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