Chapelle Sainte-Odile

The Sainte-Odile chapel was rebuilt at the time when the chapter of the cathedral of Strasbourg was the master of Scherwiller. It was located on the site of an old chapel whose origin goes back to 1118 dedicated in honor of the patron saint of Alsace. In 1298 this chapel was used as a parish and was served by a vicar. According to the legend, Saint Odile would have stayed in Scherwiller, where her nurse came from. It was a very important place of pilgrimage and still is in the 18th century. It keeps a relic of the saint offered on May 4, 1836, coming from her tomb and transported in procession from the mount Sainte-Odile on December 13, 1836.

In the chapel, behind the gate, to the left of the entrance, is a painting on canvas representing the infant Jesus cuddled up to his mother. In front of the gate, on the right, there is a painting by Carola Sorg, which tells the story of St. Odilia

In the choir, the primitive altar made of Vosges sandstone, covered with a baroque wooden structure, one can see a reliquary of St. Odilia. In the center, the patron saint of Alsace holds the abbess' crook and the book of eyes. At the top of the altar is the Holy Family.

On May 20, 1525, during the battle of the Rustauds, the soldiers of Duke Antoine de Lorraine set fire to the town of Scherwiller. The two sanctuaries became, like the other buildings, the prey of the flames. After these tragic events, the parish church was rebuilt in 1528. According to Philippe André Grandidier, the chapel of Sainte-Odile was still a popular place of pilgrimage in the 18th century.

The heirs, the viscount and the baron of Beaufranchet offered the chapel on February 16, 1853 to the commune of Scherwiller, under the condition that a mass be celebrated annually on February 3 for the repose of the souls of the donors. In the records of the municipal council of August 22, 1853, chaired by François Xavier Guntz, it is stated that he accepted the donation.

From 2015, a major restoration is undertaken by the council of Scherwiller: interior renovation (altar and furniture) and reconstruction (in 2017) of a new bell tower on the nave, identical to the original one which had been demolished.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scherwiller#Chapelle_Sainte-Odile

DATAtourisme France