Discovery of a 11th-century hunting scene in a hidden chapel

The Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde is an underground structure in Chinon, in the Indre-et-Loire department in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Originally a site probably known since antiquity as a miraculous well, it was developed into a proper chapel in the 11th or 12th century. The chapel owes its name to Radegonde de Poitiers, who is said to have met the hermit Jean le Reclus on several occasions.

The walls are decorated with murals from different periods, including one depicting a hunting scene from the end of the 11th century. The figures in this painting are likely members of the House of Plantagenet. The chapel was sold as bien national during the French Revolution and used as a home before being purchased by the town of Chinon in 1957.

Today, the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires du Chinonais has been housed here since 1966. The chapel and its murals were listed as a monument historique in 1967. The underground site, carved into yellow tuffeau rock, is located on a hillside overlooking the Vienne valley.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons