Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hermitage Sainte-Catherine was founded in 1523 by Jacques Peyron, lord of Fouilloux-en-Arvert and canon of the diocese of Saintes. Set in a natural cave in a chapel, he lived there seven to eight years before leaving for the island of Cordouan in 1531. Peyron decorated the walls with frescoes between 1525 and 1535, including a mandorle representing God the Father surrounded by the Evangelists. The chapel, oriented to the northeast, consisted of two altars and a portal surmounted by a statue of Saint Catherine.

The chapel was given to the parish of Cambes in 1536, then attached to the abbey of Sainte-Croix de Bordeaux until 1630. In the 17th century, it became a residence for elderly or disgraceful religious, like Dom Michel Gasquet, forbidden for his scandalous life. The frescoes were partially completed in 1668, but the hermitage fell into ruins after the floods of 1770. Today, there are only remnants that are inaccessible for security reasons.

The frescoes, classified as Historical Monuments in 1973, illustrate religious scenes and portraits, such as that of a character evoking Francis I. The site, located on private property, is closed to the public due to the risk of collapse. Its history reflects both medieval devotion and ecclesiastical tensions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

External links