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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The chapel of the Blue Penitents, also known as the Saint-Benoît Chapel, is a Catholic building located in Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne. It seems to date from the end of the 12th century and would have served as a chapel for the conversing brothers of the Benedictine abbey that preceded the bishopric of Sarlat. Its history is closely linked to that of the cathedral, of which it forms one side of the court of Chanoes.

In the 16th century, the chapel underwent major changes, as evidenced by the Chronicles of Jean Tarde. It was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century on the remains of the existing walls. At that time, it was used by the blue penitents, a religious brotherhood. In 1639 Louis de Salignac, bishop of Sarlat and member of this brotherhood, was buried there.

The chapel was classified as historical monuments on 14 March 1944. It benefited from a restoration in 1968, led by Yves-Marie Coldevaux, chief architect of the Historical Monuments. Today, it is one of the old buildings of the monastery and retains a simple rectangular plan, with thick walls of 1.2 meters.

In 2023, the chapel was used as a setting for the filming of scenes of the French TV series Fortune, directed by Christopher Thompson. This monument thus illustrates both the religious history and the contemporary cultural appeal of Sarlat-la-Canéda.

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