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Origin and history

The Saint-Apollinaire chapel, located in the valley of Sant Poullenar in Puimoisson, is a religious building of the 12th and 13th centuries. It is distinguished by its defensive architecture, inherited from its membership in the Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The nave, 10.8 metres high and 3.95 metres wide, consists of three spans and bordered by chapels to the north. Its apse, formed by a straight wall, and its arched roof in a bised cradle reflect the architectural characteristics of the medieval era.

In 1210, the chapel depended on a priory attached to Saint Thiers Abbey in Saoû, in the diocese of Valencia. In 1233 an exchange took place between the Abbé de Saint-Thiers and the Hospitallers, the latter transferring a church in exchange for the priory of Puimoisson, where they already owned a commandery. The building was destroyed in 1574, then abandoned until the French Revolution, when it was transformed into a farm.

Classified as historical monuments on 2 June 1976, the chapel today bears witness to the influence of military religious orders in Provence. Its history is documented by sources such as the works of Jacques Thirion, who analysed its construction in the Provencal hospital context. The chapel remains a remarkable example of fortified religious architecture, linked to the order of St John of Jerusalem.

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