Gallo-Roman Villa Ier siècle av. J.-C. – IIIe siècle ap. J.-C. (≈ 51 av. J.-C.)
Initial foundations with thermal baths under the chapel.
VIe siècle
Late monumental ensemble
Late monumental ensemble VIe siècle (≈ 650)
Construction on Gallo-Roman remains revealed by excavations.
Haut Moyen Âge (ou XIe-XIIe siècle)
Initial construction of the chapel
Initial construction of the chapel Haut Moyen Âge (ou XIe-XIIe siècle) (≈ 738)
First phase of the current building.
2014
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 2014 (≈ 2014)
Official protection of the chapel and its enclave.
2016
Municipal restoration project
Municipal restoration project 2016 (≈ 2016)
Launch of a multiannual conservation plan.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entire chapel with its plate plot, as delimited by a red border on the plan annexed to the decree (Box BK 01 585): classification by decree of 21 July 2014
Key figures
Saint Hermentaire - Boss of Draguignan
Legend of the dragon killed on this site.
Yann Codou - Professor and archaeologist
Directed the excavations of 1989-1990.
Origin and history
The chapel Saint-Hermentaire, located in Draguignan in the Var, is a building of ancient origins. According to local legend, this place marks the place where Saint Hermentaire, patron saint of the city, would have terrified a dragon terrorizing the inhabitants. The archaeological excavations carried out in 1989-1990 by Professor Yann Codou revealed that the chapel was built on the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa (I century BC – III century AD), itself surmounted in the 6th century by a monumental complex of late antiquity. These findings confirm the continued occupation of the site since Roman times.
The current structure is the result of several construction and overhaul phases. The original building, dating from the High Middle Ages (or from the 11th-XIIth centuries), was modified in the 13th, 16th, and 17th centuries, while its current bell tower was erected in the 19th century. The chapel, classified as a historical monument on 21 July 2014, retains liturgical furniture from the 17th to the 19th centuries, testifying to its continuing religious importance. Two annual Masses, celebrated on Easter Monday and Pentecost Monday, continue today its cultural and commemorative role.
The restoration work played a key role in preserving the site. As early as 1964, the Association Les Amis de Saint-Hermentaire and the Draguignan Society for Scientific and Archaeological Studies initiated excavations and repairs, followed in 2016 by a more ambitious municipal project. The latter aims to establish a multi-year restoration plan under the direction of a heritage architect, highlighting the contemporary commitment to safeguard this multi-series heritage.
Announcements
Please log in to post a review