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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Chapel of the White Penitents of Valréas, located in the department of Vaucluse in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, is a religious building built between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. It has served as a place of assembly and worship for the brotherhood of white penitents since 1509. This brotherhood, still active today, marked local history with its devotion and social role in the Valreassian community.

Founded in 1509, the Brotherhood acquired in 1578 a house and a garden to establish its chapel. Construction began before 1585, with major developments such as the diaphragm arches and the cul-de-four choir completed in 1596. In the 17th century, the vestibule and gallery were added in 1642, while the damaged vaults were replaced in 1695 by a box ceiling painted in 1715. After a sale to an individual in 1797, the brotherhood was restored in 1806, and devotion to Notre-Dame-de-Vie was restored in the vestibule in 1826.

Ranked a historic monument on August 11, 1987, the chapel is distinguished by its architecture, combining a nave with a triangular ceiling, a vaulted choir and a side chapel covered with a false dogive vault. It also includes a sacristy and a closed garden, protected by the classification. Today, the building belongs to the municipality of Valréas and remains a living testimony to the religious and architectural history of the region.

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