A subscription has been launched between the municipality of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and the Heritage Foundation for the restoration of the Saint-Hospice Chapel.
The project for the restoration of the Saint-Hospice Chapel.
After the restoration, the municipality of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, in addition to the religious activities of the site, wishes to organize cultural exhibitions as well as concerts inside the chapel. The restoration work will focus on the restoration of the roofs, the exterior façades and interior renders, as well as the woodwork and electricity.
The tip of Cap-Ferrat, known as the “Pointe de Saint-Hospice”, owes its name to a saint named Hospitius, who, in the 6th century, led a hermit’s life in a ruined tower located on the east coast of Cap Ferrat. The earliest mention of the Saint-Hospice Church, built next to the tower, dates back to 1075.
Centuries later, in 1615, the Chapel is found at the center of a fort built to protect the population from looting during the French invasion attempt. In 1655, the chapel was enlarged and endowed with an altar. For many centuries, it has been a major pilgrimage site. During the revolutionary period, the Chapel suffered damage.
It was only in 1826 that it was reopened for worship. In 1903, an imposing bronze statue 11.4 meters high, depicting the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus, was installed next to the Saint-Hospice Tower. The statue was moved next to the Chapel a few years later.
Inside the chapel, paintings by the artist Louis Marchand des Raux are displayed, depicting the life and miracles of Saint-Hospice. The Chapel has been listed as a historical monument since 1929.
