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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Donat, located in Montfort in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is an emblematic example of the first Provencal Romanesque art. Built between 1030 and 1060, it is part of an ancient monastic ensemble linked to the hermit Donat du Val, who died around 535, whose tomb attracted pilgrims. Its sober architecture, in stone-cut stone frames, reflects the simplicity of southern Romanesque constructions.

The chapel was originally given in 1018 by William II of Provence to the Abbey of St Andrew of Mount Andaon, then attached to the Abbey of Ganagobia in the 14th century until 1787. Used as a dwelling and sheepfold, it was classified as a historical monument in 1959 and restored from the 1970s. Its basilical plane, with high nave, collateral and transept non perpendicular, makes it a rare building in Haute-Provence.

The bedside, consisting of a central apse and two semicircular apsidioles, is surmounted by a single bay bell tower. The north wall, blind, and the south wall pierced by five bays illustrate the traditions of Alpine Romanesque art. The nave, vaulted at 10.2 meters high, and the narrow sides, arched in a quarter of a circle, testify to an engineering adapted to local constraints. The bolt holes visible on the facades remind medieval construction techniques.

The chapel, which is 22.85 metres long, is distinguished by its bell tower-wall located on the transept and its western facade adorned with windows geminated under a discharge arch. Its excellent state of conservation, after centuries of secular use, makes it one of the oldest and most remarkable churches in the department, celebrated for its hardiness and authenticity.

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