Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Étoile, now in ruins, stands in the commune of Châteauneuf-Val-Saint-Donat. This monument, whose precise history is not documented in the available sources, embodies a religious heritage anchored in the Provençal landscape. Its present state of ruin suggests a long existence, marked by successive transformations or abandonments, typical of the medieval or pre-modern buildings of the region.

In the historical context of Provence, rural churches like Notre-Dame-de-l'Etoile played a central role in community life. They served not only as a place of worship, but also as a gathering point for the inhabitants, reflecting the social and religious practices of their time. The ruins of these monuments now offer valuable clues to the construction techniques, the local materials used and the spatial organization of provençal villages throughout the centuries.