Sanctuaire marial de La Font-Sainte

English translation

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History

The Marian devotion of Font-Sainte has been celebrated for several centuries. The Font-Sainte mountain is mentioned from the beginning of the 16th century ("Montana de la Fon-Sainte", 1505, terrier of Apchon). Around 1740, the miraculous appearance of the Virgin to a young woman, Marie Galvain, is at the origin of the construction of an aedicule encompassing the spring and the oratory. The lintel of the oratory door bears moreover the mention of the year 1744. In 1834, the municipal council of the commune of Selins and Saint-Hippolyte decides the reconstruction of the chapel, in order to meet the great influx of pilgrims from neighbouring communes. The current chapel is built from 1835, probably at the location of an older chapel. Old postcards from the beginning of the 20th century testify to the popularity of this pilgrimage site. Beyond the pilgrimage, the site fulfils the function of a relief chapel, or a transhumance chapel for shepherds and cattle herders. Currently, Font-Sainte continues to be the subject of an active Marian pilgrimage. Each year, the statue of the Virgin of Font-Sainte is carried in procession from the church of Saint-Hippolyte to remain in the chapel from June to September. It then returns to the parish church for the winter.

Description

The Marian sanctuary of Font-Sainte is situated in the landscape of the Cantalian mountains. It is located at 1230 metres altitude in the midst of summer pastures, to the west of the small commune of Saint-Hippolyte. It is bordered to the west by the commune of Collandres, by Apchon to the north and by Cheylade to the south and east. It comprises a chapel and an oratory in stone. The chapel is not oriented and follows a Latin cross plan, along a north-south axis. Access to the chapel is by a door situated on the north façade. The keystone bears the date 1837, the date of the consecration of the chapel. The nave is pierced on either side by three openings. It is constructed of small, irregular blocks of volcanic stone, and covered by a two-slope roof in slate. The transept, the absidioles and the choir are constructed in regular ashlar of tufa stone. Each arm of the transept opens onto an absidiole. The choir ends in an apse vaulted in a dome. The crossing of the transept is surmounted by a cupola, covered in zinc. At the level of the interior layout, the nave is vaulted in a barrel vault with pine boarding. This boarded vault replaces the painted ceiling executed in 1854. The pavement of the nave presents a brick-coloured tiled floor. The floor of the transept is cemented and ornamented with inscriptions ("Notre-Dame-de-la-Font-Sainte pray for us"). The floor of the absidioles of the transept and part of the choir is paved with cement tiles. The chapel also houses a painted painting dated 1929, signed Emile Rollier, depicting the procession of the Virgin of Font-Sainte. Situated below the chapel, the oratory, built in 1744, takes the form of a small buron of square plan, with thick walls, covered in lauzes. It offers a single opening, a wooden door surmounted by a round arch, which bears the date of construction of the aedicule. On the west flank of the aedicule is found the Font-Sainte fountain. Water springs into a stone basin. This space is delimited and surrounded by large blocks of basalt.