Chapelle Notre-Dame de Ben-Va

About

The chapel Notre-Dame de Benva or Ben Va, also known as Notre-Dame de Belval or Notre-Dame des Salettes, is a Catholic chapel built in the 15th century in Lorgues, three kilometres from the city centre, on the road to Saint-Antonin, in the district of Réal Laugier. It has been classified as historical monuments since 25 April 1929.

Etymology: "Benva" comes from the Provençal "Ben vai", which means "Good journey". The spelling "Belval", used in the classification of the chapel as a historical monument, would come from Dr François Cordouan, author of a History of the Commune of Lorgues in 1864. The name "Notre-Dame des Salettes", which appears on old maps, comes from a neighbouring hamlet.

History: The chapel, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Most Holy Vierge, was built in 1458 according to the form of the writing of the inscriptions in Gothic letters. It is on a secondary path of the path of Compostela, James and Notre-Dame being perhaps bound by the Gospel Prote of James. According to legend, the chapel would have been founded "in thanksgiving following the disappearance of a huge ferocious beast that was spreading...