Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de la Gardette chapel, located at Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the Alpes-Maritimes, succeeds a building attested to in the 15th century. This first place of worship, called the Gardette, served as a refuge for the inhabitants on a hill overlooking the village. The original chapel, dedicated to Saint George, was destroyed during the construction of the ramparts ordered by Francis I. His altar was then transferred to the chapel of the Gardette, which took the name of Notre-Dame-de-la-Pitié and Saint George. The present chapel was founded by Françoise de Villeneuve-Thorenc and her husband Jacques de Villeneuve, Sieur de la Berlière, governor of Saint-Paul between 1580 and 1593.

In 1616 Françoise de Villeneuve bequeathed to the chapel works of art, including a portrait of the founder and a Descent of the Cross. The interior decor, enriched with 17th century stuccos and an 18th century high altar, remains intact. In 1665 Jean-Baptiste de Villeneuve-Thorenc, governor and juspatron of the chapel, gave it to Sébastien Canausey to make it a canonicat. A cross was erected in front of the building in 1702, marking its anchor in the local landscape.

Between 1925 and 1930, painters Marthe Larcher and Germaine Laporte adorn the walls of frescoes depicting the life of Christ and the Virgin, integrating the landscapes of Saint Paul. These 20th century additions earned the chapel the 20th century heritage label in 2001. Ranked a historical monument in 1993, it bears witness to the artistic and religious evolution of the region, mixing medieval, Baroque and modern heritage.

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