©Chapelle Des Penitents Grimaud Var 12|Guillaume Voiturier

Penitents Chapel

The Penitents Chapel is one of the three chapels in the Provençal medieval village of Grimaud. It can be found in the quiet Penitents neighbourhood and is a truly peaceful place.

More than 500 years of existence

Built at the end of the 15th century, ND du Coulet was built at the entrance to the village.

1482, the date of construction is engraved in Roman letters on the lintel of the door (M. CCCC. LXXXII, the 8 is a punctuation sign). To increase the surface area inside the chapel, the original entrance porch was blocked off and we can still see the former archway on either side of the current entrance.

It became the home of the White Penitents congregation which helped the local population.

©Chapelle Des Penitents Grimaud Var 16|Grimaud Tourisme

Relics, statues and an altarpiece

Vestiges of the past

Inside, there is a 17th century altarpiece and the Pietà painted by Paul-Emile Barberi in 1808. There are also the relics of Saint Theodore, and a variety of other statues, including Our Lady of 7 Sorrows.

Bones given by the Vatican in a major ceremony in 1851 led by the Pope who travelled from the Vatican to deliver the bones of Saint-Theodorus to Grimaud. For several years, the village had been requesting the saint’s relics to be able to exhibit them in their chapel.

In the south-eastern corner, there is a stone engraved with an inscription in Gothic characters: “His Grace of Fréjus gave 40 days of pardon”.

©Chapelle Des Penitents Grimaud Var 15|Grimaud Tourisme

©Chapelle Des Penitents Grimaud Var 13|Guillaume Voiturier

©Chapelle Des Penitents Grimaud Var 14|Guillaume Voiturier

The chapel housed the town councils for a time around 1790, at the time of the French Revolution.

The Soirées Musicales

Every year, the Penitents Chapel is used as a concert venue for the Soirées Musicales de Grimaud classical music festival.

The intimacy of the monument adds incredible beauty to these recitals.

Musical evenings in Grimaud

Advice for making

the most of your stay

Mapof the village

At the Tourist Information Office, you can obtain a map of the village, which indicates the places of interest, such as the Penitents chapel.

Walkin the village

Make the most of your trip to the Penitents chapel by visiting the village. You will need around an hour and a half to take in the village, with its narrow streets and historic landmarks.