Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chapel of the White Penitents of Aigues-Mortes, located in the Gard department, is one of the oldest in the Camargue. Founded in 1625 by dissidents of the Brotherhood of the Grey Penitents, it is placed under the name of the Virgin and the Holy Spirit, symbolized by a dove. Its construction, financed by the Brotherhood, began in 1668. During the Revolution, it became the seat of the Club des Sans-Culottes, which dispersed its liturgical objects. Repurchased in 1796, it temporarily served as a parish church before being restored by the Penitents, with the addition of a semicircular choir in 1818.

The chapel is distinguished by its limestone and cut stone architecture, including a rotating staircase and a bas-relief facade depicting penitents encased in the form of hare heads, evoking a local song and divine light. Classified as a Historical Monument in 2007 (after a first inscription in 1911), it houses major works: a fresco by Xavier Sigalon (1817) illustrating Pentecost, and paintings by Auguste Glaize (1846-1847) on the life of the Virgin. Its liturgical furniture, used during processions, completes this heritage.

During the Revolution, the chapel was stripped and transformed into a political meeting place. In the 19th century, the engineer Durand directed his neo-classical enlargement, while Sigalon painted a monumental scene (4x12.20 m). The choir, connected by a serlienne, extends this fresco with a cul-de-four painting. Natural light, designed to highlight this decor, and symbols such as the Holy Spirit (colombe) or the hare-headed hoodules, reflect the values of the brotherhood: penance, spirituality and light.

External links