Chapelle Notre-Dame de Dromon, Medieval chapel in Saint-Geniez, France.
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Dromon is a medieval chapel in Saint-Geniez with two levels including an underground crypt. The crypt features carved capitals decorated with intricate patterns showing plant motifs and animal representations throughout.
The chapel was first documented in 1030 when the Bishop of Gap gave it to Saint-Victor Abbey in Marseille. It was then buried and remained lost until it was rediscovered in 1656.
The crypt holds a fertility stone that attracted women seeking to conceive across generations. This shows how local beliefs rooted in pre-Christian practices remained alive at this holy site and blended with Christian traditions.
The chapel sits on a mountainside and is reached by following a marked trail from Chabert hamlet through about four kilometers of alpine terrain. Sturdy footwear is essential, and visitors should allow enough time for the hike, especially in poor weather conditions.
The underground crypt contains alabaster capitals and three distinct sections, suggesting it originally served as a repository for Saint Genies relics. This structure makes it a rare example of how reliquaries were built in remote mountain settings during the Middle Ages.
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