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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Saint-Sixte d'Eygalières, built in the 12th century on an ancestral terterre, succeeds an ancient sanctuary dedicated to water, where the inhabitants still venerated pagan steles. Mentioned in 1155 in a papal bubble of Adrien IV as property of the Bishop of Avignon, it was ceded in 1222 to the Abbey of Mollégès. This transfer marked the beginning of the annual pilgrimage on Easter Tuesday, where the bust of Saint Sixte, followed by the population and guardians of Camargue, joined the chapel for a mass in Provençal.

Originally, the chapel had a simple facade with a wall-closing still visible. In the 16th century, a hermitage and its garden were added, then a porch in 1629 to welcome pilgrims. Traditionally, in 1587 the inhabitants of St.Andiol paid tribute to the protection against the plague. Hermitage later served as a lazaret during the epidemic of 1720, where the hermit Jean Michel, originally from Salon, dedicated himself from 1715 to his death in 1726.

Architecturally, the chapel preserves from its Romanesque origin a semicircular apse arched in cul-de-four and a triumphal arch decorated with consoles shaped like wild boar heads. Its unique bay bell tower and massive foothills contrast with the imposing 17th century porch. Becoming a symbol of Provence, it has inspired painters and photographers for centuries, attracted by its picturesque setting of cypresses and rocks.

Classified as a historical monument in 1971, the chapel remains a place of devotion, especially during the pilgrimage on Easter Tuesday, where Saint Sixte is invoked against drought. His history thus blends pagan heritage, Christianization, and Provençal traditions, while embodying resilience in the face of epidemics that marked the region.

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