This chapel dates from the 15th century.
It was the last to be built by the Benedictine monks of Saint Chef, who at the time had mastered the art of Gothic construction.
Like the rest of the church, it was redecorated in 1866 (cf. 1 below).
1. Saint Joseph's chapel
The entrance arch is closed by a varnished cast-iron grille topped by a walnut rail, as was the communion table in the choir, now dismantled (cf. 2 below).
Inscriptions on the lower parts of the entrance pillars remind us that the chapel is dedicated to Saint Joseph (cf. 3 below).
They are surmounted by Latin maxims. For the left pillar, it literally means:
"Joseph, may the pillars of heaven celebrate you", and on the right pillar "may the heart of Christ resonate with you" (cf. 4 and 5 below).
6. The Carrara's marble altar
Enter the chapel to discover the Carrara marble altar (cf. 6).
Its base is adorned with a bas-relief depicting the Holy Family: the Virgin working with a distaff, St. Joseph working with his carpenter's tools, assisted by his son Jesus mounted on a stool (cf. 7 below).
The tabernacle door bears the initials "AM", the Virgin's monogram interlaced with the words "mater dei": mother of God (cf. 8 below).
The altar is surmounted by a 19th-century polychrome wooden statue of Saint Joseph, whose fine drapery and motifs you can appreciate. The backdrop consists of a combination of trompe-l'œil decorations and perfectly harmonized high reliefs, demonstrating the skill of the artists at the time of the church's renovation in 1866 (cf. 9 below).
The chapel was lit by finely-worked candelabras from the same period (cf.11 below).
On your right, two ex-voto statues, relatively rare in this church, thank St. Joseph (cf.12 below).
To the left of the stained-glass window, a niche. The historical use of this niche is unknown, as is the case for other such features in the church.
(cf. 13 below)
14. Two-panel stained glass
The two-pane stained glass window with non-figurative motifs was probably made by Gubian and Roy-jeune, master glassmakers in Lyon in 1866. The detail at the top of the window confirms the chapel's devotion to Saint Joseph (cf. 14 and 15).
Opposite the altar, a medallion painting depicts Jesus on Lake Tiberias (cf. 16).
The boat's sail bears the letters "JHS", an imperfect translation of Christ's Greek initials "IHS". The banner bears the motto "non prevalebunt", literally meaning "they shall not prevail". It seems to refer to the biblical phrase spoken by Jesus: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it". (cf. 17)
The medallion appears to rest on a trompe-l'oeil base decorated with a coat-of-arms, the origin of which we have not been able to determine. (cf. 18)
The carpet on the floor is undoubtedly the oldest still in existence in the church, having already been included in the 1906 inventory drawn up following the 1905 law separating Church and State. (cf. 19)
The ceiling panels feature crucifixes adorned with plant motifs, all set against a starry blue background that we'll see again and again throughout the visit. (cf. 20)
The arches supporting the vaults rest on bases originally carved in stone. Their style varies according to the period of construction of the different parts of the church; some of them were damaged or destroyed during the Wars of Religion or the Revolution. In 1866, they were repaired or even replaced by cast cement bases. (see 21 and 22 below)
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