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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-des-Grâces chapel of Breil-sur-Roya is a religious building located on the road to the Col de Brouis, in the Alpes-Maritimes. Built in the 17th century, it bears witness to a tragic episode of local history: an epidemic of plague that struck the village. The desperate inhabitants went on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Vicoforte (near Roccaforte de Mondovi) to implore the Virgin Mary, promising to build a chapel if the plague ceased.

After the epidemic ended, the Breillois kept their promise by building this chapel, also called Notre-Dame-des-Neiges. Its architecture is distinguished by a bell tower decorated with varnished tiles with bright colours and rounded shapes, a style shared with other local chapels such as Sainte-Catherine or that of Mercy. This place of devotion, linked to a collective oath, symbolizes the community's resilience to disease.

The chapel was listed as historical monuments on 13 May 1937, recognizing its heritage value and its role in the religious and social history of the region. Today, it remains a testimony of popular piety and architectural traditions of the Alpes-Maritimes, while being owned by the municipality of Breil-sur-Roya.

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