Chapel of Saint-Nazaire

The Goths were a Germanic tribe divided into the eastern mob, the Ostrogoths, and the western lot the Visigoths. A couple of kilometres from Roujan there is a Visigoth Chapel. The Chapel of Saint-Nazaire seems almost planted at the edge of a now ploughed field, surrounded by vines and looking to all the world as if it has been there for an eternity. Well it has been there for a while, in fact a thousand years or more.

On yet another beautiful winter's day of domed blue sky and a tingling cold wind the door surrounded by a horseshoe arch opens to a tiny interior. The fact that the door opens at all is a thrill and even more of a surprise is the small alter scattered with medals and devotions to the Virgin Mary and offerings of books. A statue of her is tucked into a corner and in a small arch carved into the wall is this framed image and flowers. Someone obviously takes care of this little place of devotion and I have it in my mind it may be one of the older women in the village who uses the well worn broom to settle the dust and perhaps find some peace in the cool.

We next visit Notre Dame des Mougeres in the village of Caux. A convent was established by the Dominicans in 1328 and the current church, Notre Dame de Pitie is a mere 500 years old!
We spend a little time in the church and squeeze through a slim door in the choir stalls and climb steep steps to a gallery overlooking the private chapel. Incense is burning and it takes me straight back to school. Not for religious reasons but because at Christmas there was a carol service with tableaux of mainly Renaissance paintings of the birth of Christ. Preceding the Adoration of the Magi 'the kings' (and this was a girls' school so there was glue and beards going on!!) arrive, with the incense bearing king wafting frankincense and I was taken right back to that scent and memory.

What a rare treat.