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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Pitié chapel, built in 1619 in Serrières, was erected to replace a chapel destroyed during the Wars of Religion. Located near Vergelet Creek, it was considered small and poorly placed. A priest was appointed there to serve her, and in 1663 the tower of the former Hôtel-Dieu, serving as a bell tower, was enhanced to install a bell and clock with a single needle, made by François Deleau, watchmaker of Tours.

In 1668, the inhabitants of Serrières-Nord obtained permission to transfer the parish seat to a new location, offering land partly owned by the Penitents. The new church of the Assumption was built from 1699 and blessed in 1702, resulting in the definitive abandonment of the original chapel, sold on condition to preserve its tower. This, still visible, probably still houses the original clock mechanism.

The chapel was officially replaced by the church of the Assumption in 1702, after tensions between the northern and southern inhabitants of Serrières. The tower, the only vestige, was preserved despite the sale of the building for 200 pounds. In 1872 the bell tower lantern was demolished, and the bell was recast for the new hospital. The tower, classified as a historical monument in 1984, remains a symbol of local religious heritage.

The wars of Religion had previously ravaged the neighborhood, destroying the castle, its chapel and fifty houses. The reconstruction of the Notre-Dame-de-Pitié chapel marked a period of renewal for the community, despite the persistent divisions. The clock, commissioned for 310 pounds, was a significant element of modernity for the time, reflecting the importance given to time in collective life.

Today, the Penitent Tower, located on Rue du Vieil-Hôpital, is a protected vestige, reminiscent of the turbulent history of Serrières. Its inscription in historical monuments in 1984 underscores its heritage value, while the original bell, exposed at the entrance to the local hospital, perpetuates the memory of this pivotal period between religious conflicts and community reconstruction.

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