Saint Donat Chapel in La Bolline Valdeblore

To get to the chapel: At the entrance to the village of La Bolline, take the Chemin St. Macaire, and at the end of that path, turn right at marker No. 148. At the end of a path lined with vegetable gardens and winding through a chestnut grove stands the St. Donat Chapel. It is located on a promontory that has been partially eroded. Nearby are the ruins of several houses and barns, which may be remnants of the first known settlement in the Val de Blore: Pedesta or Pedastras. Built in the early 17th century (the date “1610” is engraved under the porch), the chapel features a large porch with three Romanesque arches. Remains of “rural”-style frescoes date back to 1664. On the facades are two 19th-century sundials bearing the maxims “TU MI REGARDI IO TI GUIDO A MORTE ET DEL ETARNITA T’APRO LE PORTO ” (You look at me, I lead you to death, and from eternity I open the gates for you) and “SE PER ORAR OR TI METTESTI IN VIA NON TI PARTIR SE NON PRAGASTI PRIMA ” (If you are now setting out on your journey, do not leave without first praying). Saint Donatus, bishop and martyr, lived during the reign of Julian, a Roman emperor of the 4th century. He is credited with numerous miracles involving young children, and the area surrounding the chapel once served as a cemetery for children who died without baptism.