Chapelle Saint-André d'Estoublon, Chapel ruins in the Trévans Gorges, Estoublon, France.
The Chapelle Saint-André d'Estoublon stands as a religious ruin perched on a rocky outcrop above the Escale ravine in the Trévans Gorges, surrounded by limestone cliffs and Mediterranean vegetation in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of southeastern France.
Founded in the thirteenth century by Jacques Apérioculos, lord of Gaubert and Trévans, the chapel originally housed Carmelite monks brought from the Holy Land during the seventh crusade in 1254 before being destroyed in 1575 during religious wars.
The chapel's name comes from Saint Andrew, to whom it was dedicated; the site is also called Saint-André des gorges de Trévans after the ravine it overlooks. Its dedication and isolated position made it a landmark for shepherds and travellers crossing the gorges, and the ruins remain a destination on the Trévans footpaths.
Access to the chapel requires a two-and-a-half-hour hiking trail starting from the Majastres road, following a balcony path through limestone cliffs with a total elevation change of 194 meters over 4.9 kilometers.
The chapel gave its name to the whole site: it is also called Saint-André des gorges de Trévans, after the narrow limestone gorge it overlooks. Look for the surviving masonry of the walls and apse on the rock ledge above the Escale ravine, which mark the footprint of the medieval building.
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