Construction of Saint Alban Church Ve siècle (≈ 550)
First church by Bishop Maxime de Riez.
VIIIe siècle
St. Maxime Cathedral Building
St. Maxime Cathedral Building VIIIe siècle (≈ 850)
Replaces Saint-Alban, destroyed in the 16th century.
1655
Construction of the first chapel
Construction of the first chapel 1655 (≈ 1655)
Built after the Wars of Religion.
1808
Demolition of the first chapel
Demolition of the first chapel 1808 (≈ 1808)
Abandoned before reconstruction.
1921
Partial classification (abside and columns)
Partial classification (abside and columns) 1921 (≈ 1921)
Protection for historical monuments.
1975
Installation of the Claresse sisters
Installation of the Claresse sisters 1975 (≈ 1975)
Religious community always present.
2022
Total inscription of the chapel
Total inscription of the chapel 2022 (≈ 2022)
Protection extended to the entire site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Abside: by order of 23 February 1921; The unclassified part of the chapel Saint-Maxime, in full, with its bell tower, the buildings adjoining the hermitage before 1921, the garden with its fence walls, the plateau with its retaining walls and the column of the Virgin, according to the plan annexed to the decree, appearing in the cadastre on plots B 525 and B 526: inscription of 15 February 2022
Key figures
Maxime de Riez - Bishop of Riez (Vth century)
Fonda the church of Saint Alban, forerunner of the site.
Saint Maxime - Boss of the chapel
Depaillon preserved in the old cathedral.
Origin and history
The chapel of Saint-Maxime, located in Riez in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is built in 1655 on the ruins of an ancient medieval cathedral destroyed during the Wars of Religion. It replaces a major religious building, erected in the eighth century on this fortified hill, where the population had settled to protect itself. The ancient columns of the choir, from the Roman remains of the city, bear witness to its historical heritage.
The chapel was partially classified as a historical monument in 1921 (abside and columns), and then fully listed in 2022. After a period of abandonment and demolition in 1808, it was reconstructed identically in the 19th century, with a neo-Gothic decor and a stained glass window dedicated to Saint Maximus. Since 1975, it has been home to a community of Claresian sisters.
The hill, inhabited since Roman times, also houses a column dedicated to the Virgin and a fountain decorated with an ancient column. Two paths, one pedestrian and the other carrossable, allow access. The site is a pilgrimage site and a crossing point of the GR4, connecting Riez to Roumoules.
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