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Origin and history

The Shrine of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in Rochefort-du-Gard finds its origins in a chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, built in 798 to celebrate the Carolingian victory over Muslim Arabs. Located on an isolated hill north of the city, this early chapel was damaged during the Wars of Religion in 1567. Repair work began in 1631, and in 1634 the archbishop of Avignon Philonardi blessed the first modifications, renamed the place Notre-Dame de Grace. A wooden statue of the Virgin, offered by a resident named John Palejay, and a painting by Nicolas Mignard dedicated to Saint Joseph (1643) enriched the sanctuary.

In 1637, the Benedictines of Saint-Maur took over the site by arrest of the Toulouse parliament, impulsing a major reconstruction between 1691 and 1709. The sanctuary became a prosperous place of pilgrimage until the French Revolution, which led to its seizure as a national good in 1790 and its looting in 1793. After decades of abandonment, the Marist fathers settled there in 1846, restoring the buildings and developing a cross path. They left in 1964, leaving room for the work of the Charitable Homes, and then for the diocese of Nîmes from 2006.

The sanctuary, inscribed in the historical monuments in 2013, preserves a church rebuilt by the Maurists, convent wings, and a calvary accessible by a cross road. Its history reflects the religious and political upheavals of France, from medieval conflicts to revolutionary secularization, to the spiritual renaissances of the 19th and 20th centuries. The ex-votos, which have been in practice since the seventeenth century, bear witness to the unbroken popular devotion.

Today, the site remains a place of retreat and prayer, managed by the diocese of Nîmes. His current chaplain, Bernard Ginoux (since 2022), perpetuates a centuries-old tradition of Marian worship, within an architectural framework combining Benedictine heritage and modern amenities. The 17th century statue of the Virgin and the paintings of Mignard are among its most emblematic treasures.

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