The hermitage of Saint-Guillem Combret

About

The Hermitage Saint-Guillem de Combret is a small rural Romanesque chapel located on the southern flank of the Canigou Massif, in the French department of the Pyrénées-Orientales. It is located at equal distance from the villages of Prats-de-Mollo, the seat of the parish on which the chapel depended, and from Tech, the capital of the commune to which it belongs. According to legend, the chapel was built by a hermit named Guillem who, in the early Middle Ages, would have settled in this place after having defeated the evil spirits that haunted him.

Romanesque construction dates from the 12th century. It is supported by a slightly older building. The chapel is classified as a historical monument, as well as various objects (including a rare wrought iron bell) that come from it.

Two medieval manuscripts for priests in this church have also reached the 21st century. Hermitage has been attested for more than a thousand years as a place of welcome and rest for travellers. Its site is crossed by several hiking trails and offers a refuge.

If it has no hermit since 1840, the church is still a gathering place twice a year, during religious festivities...