Chapel of the brotherhood of Black Penitent

Founded in 1582, under the Holy Name of Jesus, the Brotherhood of the Black Penitents brought together the people of Briançon, men and women of all walks of life, from the simple ploughman to the rich bourgeois. They came to the aid of the poor, visited the sick and attended funerals. The construction of the chapel began in 1603, the bell tower was completed in 1621 and the porch established in 1735. During the revolutionary period, the chapel was closed and the bells buried. It was reopened for worship in 1904, after being bought by the penitents. Around 1930, when it was no longer in use, it was transformed into a cinema by a private individual. In 1947, a fire destroyed the gallery and all the interior fittings, the remaining parts of which were looted. In 1968, the town bought back the walls and, in 1973, had the bell tower restored, which is listed in the Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques. Unfortunately, in 1987, just after the restoration by the Old Manor Club, the larch shingle roof went up in smoke again. Some of the religious furnishings were transferred to other religious buildings. A carved and gilded set representing a Virgin in glory adorns the nave of the Collegiate Church. An 18th century painting by Louis Court, representing the Circumcision of Christ, was saved and will be restored.