Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Sainte-Magdeleine Chapel, located in Saint-Saturnin, Puy-de-Dôme, is a Roman Catholic religious building. Its construction, prior to that of the nearby Church of Notre-Dame, would go back to the twelfth century, although some sources evoke a possible origin in the eleventh century. It is dedicated to Saint Madeleine, the disciple of Jesus, and is distinguished by its simple plan: a unique nave and a vaulted choir in cul-de-four.

In the 15th century, during the Hundred Years War, its apse was enhanced and transformed into a semicircular tower, integrated into the fortified enclosure of the village. This change reflects the defensive needs of the time. The chapel then enjoyed various uses: a rural house, then a school in the mid-19th century, before being classified as a historical monument in 1929.

The architecture of the chapel reveals typical elements of Romanesque art, such as columnettes with carved capitals and arches in the middle of the wall. A notable feature is the old adjoining cemetery, transformed into a public garden, whose door bears an inscription dated 1668. Today, the chapel belongs to the commune and serves as a room for cultural exhibitions.

Its classification as historical monuments, on August 9, 1929, also includes the door to the old cemetery. The remains of the outside campanile, partially preserved, bear witness to the transformations suffered by the building over the centuries. The chapel thus illustrates the evolution of architectural uses and needs, from religious to defensive, then to cultural.

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