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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-d'Alydon church, also known as Notre-Dame-de-Dolidon, is a Catholic collegiate church located in Oppede, Vaucluse department. Its origin probably dates back to the 10th or 11th century, although its first written mention dates back to 1235. Originally a Romanesque style, it was radically redesigned in the 16th century, with Gothic additions completed in 1592. This monument, perched on a rocky promontory overlooking the Luberon, is inaccessible by car and offers an exceptional panorama of the area.

In 1546 Maynier d'Oppede, a local influential figure, had the church erected as a collegiate church by Antoine Trevula, vice-legate of Pope Paul III. Between 1511 and 1779, she was dedicated to Notre-Dame Dolidon, a Marian invocation associated with suffering and pain, reflecting her central spiritual role for the community. The hexagonal bell tower, built between 1500 and 1501, and the octagonal choir completed in 1592, illustrate the architectural evolutions of the building.

Ranked a historic monument in 1929, the church requires a major restoration from the year 2000 due to water infiltration damaging paintings, chapels and furniture. Artists and personalities, such as the humorist Michel Leeb, the project's sponsor, are committed to funding this work. Among the restored elements are the table Presentation of the Rosary to Saint Dominique and Saint Catherine of Siena (2005) and an 18th-century altarpiece in golden wood. The church remains an active cultural place, including the shooting of Tom Leeb's Go on clip.

Architecturally, the building consists of three spans flanked by six chapels, with a seventh in the octagonal choir. Eight foothills support the vault in the middle of the nave, dated the 17th century, while the three-paned apse, completed in 1592, completes the whole. Its history reflects both the religious transformations of Provence and the local attachment to this emblematic heritage of the Luberon.

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