Chapel of Saint Mitre

The town's patron saint, Saint Mitre, is said to have worked as a farmhand in the 4th and 5th centuries, on the surrounding land along the ancient Roman road.
An oratory was first dedicated to the saint and, in 1657, a chapel dedicated to him was built close to the present one. The necessary land was donated by Balthazar d'André, Conseiller aux Comptes. Canon Mallet assumed all construction costs, under the direction of Louis Jaubert. It was completed the same year. “This rural chapel is the last of the religious buildings constructed in Aix in the 17th century. Its plan seems inspired by that of an ancient temple” (J. Boyer). At the end of the 17th century, Saint-Mitre priory became part of the new parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-du-Faubourg, served by the Doctrinaires. Having been sold as national property, the building was enlarged in the 19th century and used as an annex to the neighboring farm. It is still privately owned.
In the 19th century, it was decided to build the present chapel, and the architect Huot was commissioned to do so. Its steeple bears the date 1865. For a long time, it was associated with the Notre-Dame de la Seds church, on which it depended, before becoming a parish church for a few years.

An association, les Amis de la Chapelle Saint-Mitre, was created in 1967 under the presidency of Mr. Emilien Tousche, to bring the chapel back to life, and was very active until 1995. In 2001, under the presidency of Mr. Jean-Luc Galéa, activities were resumed and restoration work began.

Begun in 2002, the work intensified from 2008 onwards, always with the emphasis on absolute respect for the old building and preservation of its original features. The work is facilitated or supported by an agreement with the Fondation du Patrimoine.

All the interior walls are decorated with 19th-century frescoes. The association strives to keep them in the best possible condition.

La Sainte Famille” is a 19th-century painting by an unknown painter. It was given to Monseigneur de Panafieu, former archbishop of Aix-en-Provence, by an old Aix family. The painting was fully restored in 2017, thanks to the support of donors.