CHAPEL OF SAN CHAOUSOU

The chapel of San Chaousou is built in a cave inhabited by humans since at least 2500 BC, according to archaeological excavations conducted in 1979. In ancient times, the space was divided into two levels by a floor; the holes for the beams remain. At the beginning of the Middle Ages, the shelter was transformed into a chapel, and a pilgrimage developed there. A spring was said to have healing properties for deafness and blindness. Destroyed during the Wars of Religion, it was restored in 1665 by a hermit named Loysson. The entire structure was destroyed again during the French Revolution. Abbot Clavet had the current chapel built, which was consecrated on the feast day of Saint Joseph in 1873. Chaousou is the local dialect form of Joseph. The pilgrimage continues to this day, taking place annually.