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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Jean de L'Argentière-la-Bessée is a 12th century religious building located in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It belonged to a commandery of the knights of St John of Jerusalem, mentioned in 1208 under the name Capelle Sancti Johannis de gradibus Karoli. Nearby was a house of hospitality, highlighting its role in welcoming pilgrims or travellers.

Ranked a historical monument by decree of 12 July 1886, the chapel is distinguished by its Romanesque architecture. It features a unique nave of three vaulted bays in a cradle, a cul-de-four bedside adorned with arcatures, and a rectangular two-storey bell tower. The exterior trims, in small tufa apparatus, contrast with the elements of Guillestere pink marble, such as the thresholds of the southern doors. A restoration at the beginning of the 20th century changed the wooden bell tower campanile, replaced by an additional floor.

The southern façade has two remarkable doors: a carved lintel portal, formerly framed with columnettes, and a second entrance surmounted by a landfill arch. The tympanum, potentially painted, and the cubic capitals of the engaged columnettes of the bedside testify to a sober but elaborate decoration. The building illustrates the influence of military-religious orders in the region and their preserved architectural heritage.

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