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Origin and history

The Hermitage Saint-Antoine de Galamus is a place of worship and spiritual retreat located in a cave in the gorges of Galamus, near Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, in the Eastern Pyrenees. Although probably used long before, its first written mention dates from the 15th century, when Franciscan monks established a chapel and hermitage there. The site, located at 376 meters above sea level, overlooks the gorges dug by the Agly, a spectacular setting classified since 1927 for its natural beauty.

In the 18th century, hermitage was associated with a significant event: in 1782 the end of an epidemic of suette striking Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet was attributed to the intercession of Saint Anthony. After the Revolution, the site became obsolete until its rehabilitation in 1843 by Father Marie-Joseph Chiron, a Franciscan monk. The latter, known for having created the Montoulon Calvary in Privas, lives there for several years and gives the place its religious vocation.

Prior to its restoration, the hermitage was described in 1821 by travellers Joseph Antoine Cervini and Antoine Ignace Melling as "the most beautiful wonder of the Roussillon". The site once housed prestigious relics, including fragments of the Holy Cross, Saint Victoire, and later those of Father Francisco Palau y Quer, beatified in 1988. Today, there remains a place of traditional pilgrimage, especially on Easter and Pentecost Mondays.

Hermitage also marked popular culture by setting two films: China Ma Pain (1989) by Dai Sijie, winner at the Jean-Vigo Festival, and La Neuvieme Porte (1998) by Roman Polanski. These cinematic apparitions have contributed to its reputation far beyond the Occitanie region.

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