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Origin and history

The Sainte-Foy Chapel, known as the White Penitents, was founded in the 13th century as a medieval church in the Faubourg Flocaria, near the ramparts of Montpellier. Cited in 1228, it also served as a venue for the sessions of the Faculty of Arts from 1240. Destroyed by the Huguenots in 1562 and 1568 during the Wars of Religion, its ruins became an open cemetery for half a century.

The reconstruction began in 1623 after Montpellier's surrender to the royal troops, when Bishop Pierre de Fenouillet returned the ruins to the Confrerie des Penitents blancs. The large work was completed in 1624, and the chapel was consecrated on Christmas night that same year. Between 1647 and 1698, the Penitents enriched its interior with a baroque decor, including a box ceiling painted by Simon Raoux and the Pezets, inspired by Italian and Flemish models.

The building was embellished in the 18th century with a rock drum and a sculptured portal (1747), while its interior was decorated with gilded panelling designed by Charles-Augustin d'Aviler. Sold as national property in 1793, it was bought by the Brotherhood in 1804. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1995, it still houses 17th and 19th century works, including a 1401 bell and restored paintings.

The chapel preserves traces of its medieval past, as part of the facade and a 15th century bridge. Its interior decor, marked by the Counter-Reform, includes painted cycles of the Nativity and Passion, as well as woodwork from the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, owned by the Brotherhood, it hosts more than 50,000 visitors annually.

Its architecture thus combines Romanesque, Baroque and rock heritage, reflecting the religious and artistic upheavals of Montpellier between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The bell of 1401, one of the oldest elements, bears witness to its longevity despite the destruction suffered.

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