Chapelle Sainte-Colombe

Saint-Denis-lès-Sens

A few kilometres from Sens Cathedral, in the hollow of the village of Saint-Denis-lès-Sens, a neo-Gothic chapel built between 1853 and 1874 preserves the memory of an almost forgotten martyrdom. According to tradition, Columba (Colombe), a young Spanish princess of sixteen who had taken refuge in Gaul, refused at the height of the Emperor Aurelian's persecution to sacrifice to the Roman gods. Imprisoned, she escaped an assailant thanks to a she-bear that came to protect her in her cell — an episode that explains the iconography of the saint accompanied by the animal. Condemned, she was beheaded on 31 December 274 near the fountain of Azon. Legend tells that a herdsman found her body thanks to one of his oxen, which knelt down, a light rising from each of its horns. A monastery was founded as early as the 7th century on the site of her burial, making this valley near Sens an early centre of pilgrimage. The present chapel, built by the Sisters of the Holy Childhood for the 1600th anniversary of the martyrdom, keeps the saint's reliquary in its crypt. Far from the bustle of the neighbouring cathedral, this quiet place preserves intact the contemplative atmosphere of a cult fifteen centuries old, between edifying legend and still-lively popular devotion.

Getting there : Visits during the Journées du Patrimoine (heritage open days) and through the association of the Amis de la Chapelle; 12 rue de l'Abbaye, 89100 Saint-Denis-lès-Sens

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound