Chapelle des Pénitents

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

This monument, built towards the second half of the 13th century, must have first served as a chapel for the leper house built in front of the ramparts. In the 14th century, the leper house became a hospital and the chapel took the name of hospital chapel. In the 17th century, the building served as a chapel for a confraternity of White Penitents just founded at Yssingeaux. Too small, the Romanesque chevet was demolished and replaced by a choir with five sides with false vault. The facade and the two lateral chapels would be from the 18th century. The facade corresponding to the nave and that of the right chapel have no joints and appear to be from the 17th century. The left chapel was doubtless added in the 18th century, the masonry of its facade not joining with that of the nave. These two chapels each open to the exterior by a large round-arch opening which probably allowed the display of relics or a miraculous statue. The facade was surmounted by a stone campanile which was replaced in 1818 by a bell tower on a square plan. To support it were raised, inside the nave, two large stone columns. In 1824, a very heavy bell replacing the old one, the stone bell tower was replaced by one of wood. In the choir, the benches of the Penitents, dating from the 17th century, are arranged parallel to the five sides and surround the altar. They are decorated with the attributes of the Penitents (scythe, cross...).