Ermitage du frère Joseph, Heritage chapel in Ventron, France
The Ermitage du frere Joseph is a stone chapel with living quarters situated at approximately 900 meters elevation above the village of Ventron. The complex consists of simple, functional buildings nestled into the steep mountain landscape of the Vosges.
A man named Pierre-Joseph Formet founded this hermitage in 1751 and soon replaced the initial wooden structures with stone buildings. These stone constructions would endure for the following decades.
The site reflects a form of solitary religious devotion that visitors can sense in the rooms and chapel spaces. The simple architecture speaks to a life of withdrawal and prayer high in the mountains.
The site is accessible year-round by following marked hiking trails that lead up to the hermitage. Coach parking is available on the grounds for group visits.
The founder spent more than three decades at this remote location and lived there until his death in 1784. His extended presence shaped the spaces and landscape with his personal history.
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