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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-et-de-Alle-Joie chapel, also known as the Bout-du-Pont chapel, is built in Villeneuve-sur-Lot at the end of the Pont des Cioutats, on the right bank of the Lot. According to the legend, its origin dates back to 1289, when a statuette of Black Virgin, discovered in the river after blocking boats, motivated its construction. This place became a center of devotion for the sailors, who greeted the chapel by raising their trains at the passage, and once housed many ex-votos in thanks for healings or vows.

The chapel, originally linked to the fort of the bridge completed in 1285, was destroyed and rebuilt. In 1600, a storm seriously damaged the building and the bridge tower; Its reconstruction was completed before 1618 or in 1643, depending on the sources, with materials from the bridge repair. In 1657, the roofing was enhanced by artisans Antoine Papou (carpenter) and Antoine Philippes (mason). The bell tower, with an arrow destroyed during the Revolution, was rebuilt in 1825 with the walls on the Lot side, threatening to ruin. The chapel is then enlarged in corbellation on the river.

In the 19th century, the street façade was remodelled in 1865 to adapt to the new urban alignment, adopting a neo-Gothic style. The interior was restored between 1860 and 1870, and the corbelling aisles on the Lot were replaced by metal beams. The chapel, owned by the commune, was listed as historical monuments on 20 June 1950. It preserves a statue of the 14th century Virgin, object of veneration, and bears witness to the maritime and religious history of Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Architecturally, the building blends brick bases, coated stone walls, and a wooden panel corbellation on the Lot. Its role as a place of pilgrimage for the boatmen, associated with the legend of the Black Virgin, makes it an emblematic monument of local heritage. Historical sources, such as the works of Auguste Cassany-Mazet or Antonio de Zappino, document its successive transformations, reflecting its cultural and religious importance throughout the centuries.

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