La chapelle de l’Ormette

Based on a “typical story”, a Pieta was discovered in an elm tree in the early 16th century (hence the name l’Ormette), and a Marian devotion was established there. In 1601, a beautiful chapel and a guest house were built to accommodate the many pilgrims.

In the wave of the Counter-Reformation in the 17th century, the cult of Notre-Dame de l’Ormette took on a certain importance. Pilgrims flocked to the site. The revolutionary period put a stop to pilgrimages. On 12 October 1795, it was decided to demolish the chapel. 70 years later, in 1863, as part of the Moral Order, the Archbishop of Toulouse blessed the foundation stone of the present chapel, which was completed in 1868.

Arsène Robert, born in Rieumes, painted the interior, and Mr Derrac and Mr Périssé built the portal in the neo-Romanesque style with moulded terracotta capitals. The two large paintings, also by Arsène Robert in 1854, were previously in the parish church.

The chapel has both a very traditional exterior, with its wall-shaped bell tower, and an interior decoration typical of the Saint-Sulpician style. The building is of real architectural interest, evoking both an ancient Marian tradition and the religious decoration of the second half of the 19th century.

Mairie de Rieumes