Ermitage Saint-Eugène de Chassagnes

Les Vans (Chassagnes)

The hermitage of Saint-Eugène stands at the edge of a limestone cliff, facing the Chassezac valley. The forest of Païolive extends behind it. Nobody can date its foundation: the tourist office distinguishes six major building campaigns. Elements of the original chapel are said to go back to the Middle Ages. The Ministry of Culture retains above all the year 1654 for the main campaign, and inscribed the façades and roofs in 1979. Sold as national property at the Revolution, the hermitage later served as a barn. It was restored in 1956 by a Dominican archaeologist, then revived in 1994 by a monk of Cîteaux. In the chapel, reproductions of Byzantine-style frescoes were painted voluntarily by an iconographer. The place remains private: it can be visited with the services or by appointment.

French Ministry of Culture — Mérimée, Ermitage Saint-Eugène (Les Vans) ↗

Getting there: Private property, at Chassagnes (commune of Les Vans). Reached on foot from the village or by a hiking path of about 4.5 km. According to the tourist office, one can come to the 11 am mass; outside services, visits are by appointment (association Païolive or town hall).

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

Ambient sound