Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs, - Menton

The Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs , officially the Chapelle de l'Immaculée-Conception , is a Baroque chapel built between 1680 and 1687 at the initiative of Prince Louis I of Monaco and the de Monléon family.

The chapel was the center of the Confrérie des Pénitents Blancs , a religious brotherhood dedicated to penance and charity. Their name comes from the white robes they wore during their rituals . The brotherhood was dissolved in 1970 , but their spiritual legacy lives on in the chapel.

The facade is richly decorated with Baroque elements. Above the entrance is a bas-relief of the Immaculate Conception . In the niches on either side are statues of Saint Isidore (patron saint of farmers) and Saint Elme (patron saint of sailors). Above them stands a statue of Saint Charles Borromeo , an important figure in the Catholic Reformation.

The chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which is also the main theme of the paintings and the altar.

The chapel has a single nave with a domed ceiling decorated with frescoes depicting the Immaculate Conception . These frescoes were painted by the artists Guillaume Cerutti-Maori and Patrizio Rogolini . The altarpiece is made of polychrome marble and is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The interior is further decorated with red velvet curtains , chandeliers, and other Baroque elements, which contribute to the chapel's dramatic atmosphere.

Willem Vandenameele