The Folon chapel (17th-21st c)

The first traces of the brotherhood of White Penitents in Saint-Paul de Vence date back to 1581. They formed an association of pious laymen who did good works to earn forgiveness for their sins. For almost three hundred years, this 17th-century chapel was their headquarters. Their charity work with the underprivileged included caring for the sick, handing out clothing and food to the needy, and giving grain to farmers in trouble. They would also offer food and shelter to lost travellers and penniless pilgrims. The brotherhood existed in Saint-Paul de Vence until the beginning of the 1920s.
The chapel was restored at the beginning of the 2000s then entirely redecorated by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon. He drew his inspiration from the Penitents themselves, depicting open hands, reaching, ready to give and to assist. The delicate colours in the stained glass windows and paintings, the sleek lines of the altar and font, and the chromatically rich mosaic, all contrast with the bare stone of the chapel's outside walls. Note the unusual triangular bell-tower.

Visit the chapel with a guide from the Tourist Information Office.

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