Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Genouillade, located in Arles in the Bouches-du-Rhône, is one of the oldest in the department. It was originally integrated into the necropolis of the Alyscamps, a Roman cemetery converted into a Christian burial site. Its progressive isolation was caused first by the drilling of the Craponne Canal, then by the establishment of the SNCF workshops, which definitively separated it from its historical context.

According to a local legend, Saint-Trophime, the first bishop of Arles, consecrated part of the Alyscamps for the Christian burials after his arrival in Provence with the Three Marys. The chapel would take its name from a stone on which Christ would kneel, leaving a miraculous imprint. This stone then served as altar to the chapel, strengthening its sacred character.

Ranked a historic monument on 20 February 1942, the chapel was initially the subject of a decree of inscription in 1927, finally cancelled. Its architecture and history make it a rare testimony of medieval religious traditions and urban evolution of Arles. Today, it stands at the edge of the Crau Road, near the former SNCF workshops and the Leproserie Saint-Lazare, marking the Arlesian landscape.

Historical sources, such as the unusual and secret Provence (2011) by Jean-Pierre Cassely, underline its heritage importance. The chapel remains an emblematic place, mixing legend, history and architecture, while illustrating the transformations of Arlesian territory over the centuries.

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