Chapelle de Bethléem

Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau

Raised in the 15th century by craftsmen who had come from Nantes cathedral, this Flamboyant Gothic chapel occupies an earlier druidic site, linked to Beltane ceremonies near a spring, which Christianity absorbed under the dedication of Notre-Dame de Bethléem. Listed as a historic monument as early as 1911, it owes its present fame to its restoration of 1993–1995: for want of documentation on the lost pinnacles, the sculptor Jean-Louis Boistel recreated 28 chimeras there, blending Christian tradition and popular culture, in which Grendizer (Goldorak), the Gremlins and the Xenomorph from the film Alien rub shoulders with biblical figures. Closed for worship for some fifty years, the chapel now draws geeks and science-fiction fans who come to photograph this unusual bestiary. In 2009, the artist Gino De Dominicis also presented a work here during the Estuaire festival.

Getting there : Free access to the surroundings; chapel closed for worship for some fifty years, seen mainly from outside

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

Ambient sound