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Origin and history

The chapel of the Visitation d'Avignon, also known as the Blessed Sacrament, is a baroque religious building built in the seventeenth century. It is attached to the convent founded in 1621 by the Visitandines, a female religious order. Its architecture is inspired by Roman models, with a facade reminiscent of the church of Santa Maria ai Monti, designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1580. The chapel adopts a cubic plan surmounted by a dome, an arrangement inspired by the chapel Chigi of Raphael in Rome.

The project was commissioned by Cardinal Mario Filonardi, archbishop and vice-legate of Avignon, who laid the first stone on 10 April 1631. The works, directed according to the plans of François de Royers de La Valfenière, were completed before the consecration of the chapel on 15 October 1638. Filonardi played a key role in urban planning, obtaining the expropriation of houses to clear the Place de la Pignotte, conceived as a via recta offering a theatrical perspective on the facade. This set is part of an Italian tradition introduced in France in the 17th century.

The interior decoration continued until 1644, including a choir grill and a painting of the Visitation painted by Nicolas Mignard. Cardinal Filonardi's weapons adorn the cupola pendants, emphasizing his role as patron. In 1641, the Visitandines obtained the right to plant mulberry trees in the adjacent square, reflecting their integration into local life. The chapel, classified as a historical monument in 1988, today bears witness to the influence of the Roman Baroque in Provence and the Avignonese religious history.

Originally located in the Courreterie des Chevaux, a street dedicated to the horse market, the chapel is today located on Paul Sain Street, after the piercing of Thiers Street in 1890 which divided the old way. The neighborhood, remodeled for the convent, illustrates the urban transformations of Avignon under the influence of the ecclesiastical authorities. The Place de la Pignotte, conceived as an esplanade, served as a framework for solemn ceremonies, such as those celebrating the canonization of François de Sales in 1667.

The architecture of the chapel marks a break with local traditions, adopting a Roman style rare in France at that time. The facade, with its superimposed orders (corinthian on composite), is inspired by Vincenzo Scamozzi's theories. This choice reflects Filonardi's ambition to create a modern building, in line with European artistic currents. The chapel remains an early example of the adaptation of Italian baroque in southern France.

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