SAINT-JEAN DU BEDEL CHAPEL
LA CANOURGUE , Lozère – Cultural heritage
About
Driving along the road near Montjézieu, you’ll surely have noticed this building with its distinctive roof shape, standing alone on a promontory overlooking the Lot Valley. This building, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-du-Bedel Chapel, has this unique roof shape reminiscent of an inverted boat hull, known as a “Philibert roof,” named after the famous architect of King Henry II, Philibert de l’Orme. To reach the chapel, take the road to Imbèque, and a path is signposted on your left, leading quickly to the chapel. The chapel is particularly interesting for its murals, restored in 2018, which adorn the entire chancel. A painting depicting the Baptism of Christ hangs in the center of the nave, flanked by two niches containing statues of Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary. Although a chapel in Montjézieu is mentioned at the beginning of the 14th century, the current building is a reconstruction from 1877.
