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Origin and history

The chapel by the sea is an ancient wooden religious building, built in Mimizan-Plage in the Landes at the end of the 19th century to meet the spiritual needs of tourists and inhabitants of the growing seaside resort. The decision on its construction was taken by the municipal council on 16 September 1895, and the works, carried out by the local carpenter Henri Lespès according to the plans of Mr Boyrie de Pissos, were completed in 1896 at a cost of 2,500 francs. The chapel was inaugurated on 19 July 1900 by parish priest Darrieutort, marking the beginning of his central role in the religious and social life of Mimizan-Plage.

In 1914, the chapel was enlarged by a span to accommodate more faithful, including Coco Chanel's seamstresses who had come on holiday between 1924 and 1930. These employees of Chanel House, staying in the Pylone colony, regularly attend the office. The chapel also becomes the place of the traditional festival of the sea on May 1st, where fishermen and families gather for a procession towards the beach, followed by the blessing of the pineapples and the ocean.

After the construction of Notre-Dame des Dunes church in 1969, which was more modern and spacious, the chapel at sea lost its initial religious function. It was briefly used by Protestant worship in 1975 and then served as a municipal warehouse. Threatened by destruction on two occasions, it was saved by petitions, notably that of 1989 carried by a heritage association and relayed by South West. This mobilization led to its restoration in 2009-2010, transforming the building into a cultural place hosting summer exhibitions, such as that of 2009 on the crossing of the Atlantic by the Canari Bird.

Today, the chapel by the sea symbolizes both the tourist legacy of Mimizan-Plage and the efforts to preserve the local heritage. Its wooden architecture, its transformations (amendment of the bell tower in 1948, suppression of the Maltese cross) and its turbulent history make it an emblematic monument of the Land coast, between religious memory, community life and cultural valorization.

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