Ermitage Notre-Dame de Pène

Cases-de-Pène

On a limestone spur, a staircase of 51 steps leads to the hermitage of Notre-Dame de Pène, which overlooks a meander of the Agly. The place was that of a former castle, mentioned from the 11th century. The Perpignan métropole places the foundation of the hermitage in the 14th century, near this castle of which very little remains. A first chapel dedicated to Saint Anne preceded the present building. The choir of the church dates from the early 16th century, with the date of 1530 for the main campaign, and the nave is slightly later. The polygonal choir has a rib vault. The nave, for its part, is covered with an exposed timber roof on pointed transverse arches. The buildings to the south and east were added in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the site was restored in 1848. The chapel and its outbuildings have been inscribed as a historic monument since 1 June 1992, and the site since 1943.

French Ministry of Culture (Mérimée) — Ermitage Notre-Dame-de-Pène ↗

Getting there: On foot, by a staircase of 51 steps that climbs from the village of Cases-de-Pène. The site belongs to the commune. The opening times of the chapel are not specified in the sources read: enquire at the town hall (04 68 38 90 90).

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

Ambient sound