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Origin and history

The Sainte-Croix Chapel, also known as the Chapel of the White Penitents, is a 17th-century Baroque building located in Place Sainte-Croix in Sospel, Alpes-Maritimes. It is dedicated to the Holy Cross and was listed as historical monuments on December 10, 1949. Its origin dates back to the acquisition, in 1518, of the Church of Saint Nicholas by the brotherhood of the White Penitents, founded in 1398 on the model of the Liguria brotherhoods. Only the Romanesque abside of the old church was preserved during the reconstruction.

The brotherhood of the Sospel White Penitents, founded in 1398, merged in 1518 with that of Saint Catherine, becoming a mixed brotherhood. It grew significantly, with 350 members in 1809 and generated significant revenues (lira 164 in 1754). The chapel, rebuilt in the seventeenth century, saw its decoration redone in 1833 while preserving its Baroque style and the 18th century medallions. The triangular bell tower, added in the 18th century, completes the building.

The church of Saint-Nicolas, originally a priory dependent on Saint-Pons Abbey, is mentioned for the first time in 1247 in a papal bubble of Innocent IV. Attached to the Priory of the Escarene in 1370, it was repaired and enlarged by the Brotherhood after its acquisition. Today, the chapel houses remarkable furniture, although some elements, such as the Pieta painting of the White Penitents, have been transferred to the church of Saint Michael.

The fraternity, still active, has 25 members today. Its history reflects the importance of the brotherhoods of penitents in Provence and Liguria, marked by shared religious and social models. The chapel remains an architectural and spiritual testimony of this heritage, mixing Romanesque, Baroque and community influences.

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