Chapelle du Saint-Pilon

Riboux

At the summit of the massif, at the end of the path that climbs from the cave of the Sainte-Baume, this chapel marks, according to Provençal tradition, the precise spot where angels came to lift Mary Magdalene up seven times a day so that she might hear the heavenly song. A stone pillar bearing her statue has long been attested here, followed by a first chapel around 1493; enriched with an altarpiece in 1618 and with marble facing by Cardinal de Bouillon in 1686, it was destroyed at the Revolution and then rebuilt in a simple cubic form. A complete restoration carried out in 2015–2017 by the Compagnons du Devoir (nearly 60 tonnes of material brought in by helicopter) gave it back its roofs and walls, and a new statue of the saint in Carrara marble was installed there in 2021. It marks the upper end of the Chemin des Roys, with no road, water or electricity on site.

Getting there : Access on foot only (GR9/GR98), with no road, water or electricity, from Riboux or Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume

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

Ambient sound