Chapelle Sainte-Marguerite dite aussi Vieille chapelle de La Chapelle-Villars, Chapel in La Chapelle-Villars, France
The chapelle Sainte-Marguerite, also known as the Vieille chapelle de La Chapelle-Villars, is a Romanesque stone chapel on a hillside at the edge of the village of La Chapelle-Villars, along the road to Mont Monnet. The building is plain, with rounded arches and narrow windows, and sits within a small cluster of old houses that share the same name.
The chapel first appears in a document from 984, recorded in the cartulary of Lyon as part of the possessions of the Archbishop, and was at that time linked to the nearby town of Condrieu. After the village built a new church in 1860, the old chapel was no longer used for regular services and gradually fell into ruin.
The chapel is named after Saint Margaret, a martyr widely venerated in rural medieval piety. A spring near the building was once believed to have healing powers, drawing people from nearby villages who came to drink the water or pray for good health.
The chapel sits on a hillside that is easy to reach from the village of La Chapelle-Villars and is accessible throughout the year. Sturdy footwear is a good idea, as the path to the site runs over uneven ground.
Although the chapel was recorded as a ruin in 1984, it was later stabilized and can still be visited today. Some local traditions connect the site to pre-Christian practices, suggesting the nearby spring was already considered a sacred spot long before the chapel was built.
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