Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Annonciade, located in Tende in the Alpes-Maritimes, was built in the 4th quarter of the 15th century by the brotherhood of the White Penitents. This small religious building, integrated into the medieval city near the gate of Turin, also served as a guard post at the entrance to the primitive village. It became the second sanctuary of the brotherhood, playing a key role in the local spiritual and economic life, especially for the salt transporters transiting between Nice and Turin, subjected to the gabelle there.

Ranked a historic monument in 2003 for its architectural ensemble and murals, the chapel is distinguished by its arched ridges and its lauze roof. His painted decoration, executed around 1480-1485, illustrates a Marian cycle (Visitation, Nativity, Escape in Egypt...) and patron saints such as Catherine d'Alexandria or Bernard de Menthon. These frescoes, attributed to the Piedmontese painter Giovanni Baleison, mark the transition towards the Renaissance in regional sacred art.

The building, owned by a cult association, bears witness to the cultural exchanges between Provence and Piedmont at the end of the Middle Ages. Its strategic location, near a fortified gate, reflects its dual use: place of devotion and point of control of commercial flows. The restored paintings offer a rare example of late Gothic art in the Southern Alps.

The chapel is today a protected heritage, symbolizing the religious and artistic heritage of Tende, marked by its medieval history and its role in the Transalpine roads. Its ranking includes all the frescoes, highlighting their historical and aesthetic value.

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