Chapel of Our Lady of the Motte of Vesoul

About

The chapel Notre-Dame-de-la-Motte, or also called chapel de la Motte, is a chapel-oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in Vesoul, in the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region. The chapel is located at the top of the hill of La Motte, 150 meters above the plain. In the Middle Ages, the site of the chapel is occupied by the dungeon of Castrum Vesulium, a fortress mentioned in the ninth century.

The summit of La Motte also hosts a chapel dedicated to the Virgin frequented by pilgrims from the thirteenth century. After the destruction of the castle in 1479 and then in 1595, the site of the summit of the Motte was gradually abandoned. Subsequently, a wooden cross overlooking the entire city was erected there, before it was destroyed during the Revolution.

In 1854, a cholera epidemic decimated thousands of people in the department. Vesoul, although the most populated city of Haute-Saône, records few deaths from this disease. Convinced that the city has been protected by the Virgin, which has an important aura in the city, the local religious authorities decide to have it build a chapel as a thank you to the summit of the Motte.

Built in 1855, the...