Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Blaise-des-Simples, located in Milly-la-Forêt en Essonne, is the only vestige of a maladry founded in the 12th century. Dedicated to Saint Blaise, patron of healers by so-called "simple" medicinal plants, she survived the disappearance of leprosy in the 18th century. Its name evokes these plants (aconit, belladone, mint) traditionally cultivated by monks for their therapeutic virtues.

In 1959, the chapel was restored and decorated by Jean Cocteau, a resident of Milly-la-Forêt since 1945. The poet made murals (the Resurrection of Christ symbolized by a cat, medicinal plants) and non-figurative stained glass windows for the three bays. These works, executed with a gouache on a layer of lime, fit into a sober interior, illuminated by a thin window overtaking the arched door.

Cocteau, who died in 1963, chose to be buried there. His vault, covered with a tombstone engraved with his hand ("I stay with you"), was offered by Francis Palmero, Mayor of Menton. In 1964, Arno Breker added a bronze bust to the poet, followed in 1971 by two commemorative stained glass windows. The chapel, a communal property, was classified as a historical monument in 2015 after an inscription in 1982.

The building, in stoneware and tiles, has a facade reinforced by foothills and a western massif pierced with wrought iron shutters. The adjoining garden, adorned with a cross and the bell of the old halls, perpetuates the culture of "simple". These plants, formerly used in monastic medicine, recall the original vocation of the place, between devotion and botanical knowledge.

Today, the chapel combines medieval heritage and modern creation, testifying both to the history of the maladries and the artistic heritage of Cocteau. Its classification protects a unique ensemble, where sacred art, memory of lepers and homage to a poet cross.

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