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The chapel is Montélimar's oldest religious building, located on the Via Agrippa, and features a Baroque façade.
Description
An ancient historical heritage
The origins of the chapel date back to the 12th century, as attested by a text from Pope Lucius in 1183. Devastated and neglected during the Wars of Religion at the end of the 16th century, Notre-Dame de la Rose was only restored a century later, in 1684.
The facade was rebuilt, the vault repaired, the roof reassembled and a sacristy added. The façade perfectly reflects the 17th-century style, with its rectangular molded lintel door, enhanced by a small entablature and a frieze engraved with the sanctuary's dedication: "Rose mystica, ora pro nobis" (Mystical Rose, pray for us).
Sold as a national asset during the French Revolution, it was acquired in the 19th century by a Montilian family, who returned it to worship. Its last heir bequeathed it to the bishopric of Valence in 1992.
In the early 2000s, the building's future was seriously threatened. When it rained, water penetrated through the chapel roof. Moisture seepage into the walls was causing damage. Restoration of the chapel's exterior was carried out from 2014 to 2016. The work involved total repair of the roof, stained glass windows, bell, facades, perimeter drainage of the building and levelling of the chapel forecourt, with the aim of making the chapel completely watertight.
The work was carried out thanks to the support and financial assistance of :
Prince Albert II of Monaco
The Fondation du Patrimoine
La Sauvegarde de l'Art Français association
The Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pierre
The Diocese of Valence
Lafarge France
Private donors
Spoken languages
- French
Themes
- Religious heritage
- Chapel