Saint-Bénézet chapel, Romanesque chapel on Pont Saint-Bénézet in Avignon, France.
Saint-Bénézet chapel rises from the third pillar of the surviving bridge arches and features two levels connected by interior stone stairs. The structure displays Romanesque design with characteristic stone vaulting throughout its interior spaces.
Construction took place between 1177 and 1185, and the chapel initially held the remains of a shepherd named Bénézet. Flooding in the 17th century caused significant damage to the bridge structure, though the chapel survived these events.
The chapel displays Romanesque stone vaulting and sits above a historic river crossing point that held religious meaning for medieval pilgrims. Visitors can experience how the structure served as a spiritual landmark for people traveling across the Rhône.
Access is available daily through marked pathways starting from the bridge entrance. Audio guides in multiple languages help you understand what you are seeing as you move through the two levels.
The chapel sits on one of the surviving sections of a bridge that originally had 22 arches spanning the Rhône. Of that structure, only 4 arches remain today, making this standing chapel a rare window into how medieval bridges were actually built and used.
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