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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-des-Anges de Lurs chapel, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a religious building with medieval origins. Built on the remains of an earlier chapel, possibly dating from the 11th century, it was mentioned in the 12th century during an exchange between the Bishop of Sisteron and the Templars. The site, then called Our Lady of Olon (Alaunium), became a place of pilgrimage after the black plague, reinforcing its spiritual and historical importance.

The present chapel was erected between 1662 and 1674 as the chapel of the convent of the recollets, following a Marian apparition reported in 1660. In the 18th century, it was enlarged with six dogive vaulted side chapels, an archaic style for the period, and underwent major repairs in the 1750s. Its raised choir houses a crypt extending beyond the current limits of the building, testifying to its complex architectural evolution.

Ranked a historic monument in 1997, the chapel houses remarkable furniture, including 43 ex-votos, an 18th-century golden wooden altar, and gissants of the bishops of Sisteron, such as those of Pierre François Lafiteau (died 1764) and Antoine d'Arbaud de Bargemon (1602-1666). Its decorative elements, such as the 16th century copper quest dishes or the santons of the crèche (1855-1895), illustrate the richness of its religious and artistic heritage.

The site, marked by apparitions and pilgrimages, embodies both a medieval heritage and a Baroque history. Its square bell tower, bright bays, and episcopal burials make it an emblematic monument of Provence-Alpes-Côte d的Azur, often cited in specialized guides.

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