Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Pareloup Chapel is a Romanesque chapel located in Mazan, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Built in the 12th century as the first parish church of the commune, it is located in the centre of a cemetery, on a hill east of the village, outside the old ramparts. The building underwent transformations in the 15th and 19th centuries, and is distinguished by its semi-entered rectangular plan, its porch housing a carved fresco, as well as interior frescoes and a wooden Christ.

According to a local legend, wolves have repeatedly attacked the deceased in the communal cemetery. In response, a cult dedicated to Our Lady of Pareloup was established to protect the living and the dead. This narrative marked the history of the place, reinforcing its religious and symbolic character in collective memory.

The cemetery and its cross, as well as the chapel itself, are protected as historical monuments. The cemetery and its cross were inscribed on 26 June 1950, while the chapel was classified on 28 December 1984. These distinctions highlight the heritage value of the whole, both architecturally and historically and culturally.

The chapel houses a remarkable high relief gypserie, mentioned in specialized works such as Chapelles de Provence by Serge Panarotto. Its architecture, combining Romanesque elements and later additions, as well as its interior decoration, make it a valuable testimony of Provencal religious art throughout the centuries.

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