Saint Martin de Génouilléras Chapel

The site of Saint Martin groups together a chapel, a miraculous fountain, a rock linked to legend, a replica of Lourdes’ cave and a cross. The chapel existed before 1512 and fell apart et the French Revolution. It was built again in 1869 and blessed in 1870 May 1st. It fell apart again and was built another time in 1919. Despite its little dimensions, its simple architecture and its location in the middle of the woods, it has always been a very important pilgrimage place. The most important one takes place the first Sunday of May. In 1960, mare than a thousand people took part in. The principal procession began after the mass ended and first stopped at the rock. The legend tells that the mule’s Saint let its tracks in this rock (another legend says that it is the Saint himself who had kneeled down on creating these holes). Some pilgrims kneeled down on it to cure pain or to protect themselves from it. Then, the pilgrims went to the replica of Lourdes’ cave and to the fountain. It was well known to cure pain; some people bathed in, others filled bottles with its water and some others threw coins to protect children when then walk. On the cross that dominate the site, people let votive offerings : children clothes, linen, little bags of wool or animal hair (Saint Marti protects the cattle). The procession ended at the chapel where people gave offerings, where they lighted candles and where they touched the altar and inside walls. Sometimes, this procession looked like a huge fair where numerous stallholders came to sale their products to pilgrims.