Chapelle Saint-Hubert
Monument
Chapelle Saint-Hubert, located in Mazingarbe (Pas-de-Calais), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Mazingarbe, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.4749, 2.7281
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108342
Nestling in the Pas-de-Calais coalfield, the Saint-Hubert chapel in Mazingarbe is an 18th-century Baroque jewel dedicated to the patron saint of hunters, combining sober elegance with popular fervour.
History
In the heart of Mazingarbe, a small commune in the Pas-de-Calais shaped by centuries of rural and then industrial history, the chapel of Saint-Hubert stands as a precious testimony to a village piety that is still intact. Built in the second quarter of the 18th century, it belongs to a generation of rural chapels in the Artes region that were built at the instigation of local lords or pious communities, in a spirit of devotion characteristic of the late Counter-Reformation. What makes this building so special is, first and foremost, its dedication to Saint Hubert, bishop of Liège at the turn of the 8th century and patron saint of hunters and foresters, whose cult was particularly strong in the Artois and Hainaut countryside. This devotion anchors the chapel in an area still marked by the great seigneurial forests and the hunting traditions of the local nobility. The chapel is not a monument on parade, but an intimate place of prayer on a human scale, where the sincerity of faith takes precedence over pomp. The visit invites you to slow down. The interior, soberly decorated according to the canons of 18th-century regional religious architecture, preserves a contemplative atmosphere that the centuries have not altered. The right proportions of the nave, the subdued light filtering through the windows, and any remains of furniture or painted decoration all contribute to a rare contemplative experience in an area often associated with the imagery of coal and slag heaps. The chapel's immediate setting also contributes to its discreet charm. Despite its industrial past linked to coal mining, Mazingarbe retains its rural fringes, where ancient architecture meets a resolutely Nordic landscape: vast skies, changing light, dense vegetation. Photographers and lovers of little-known heritage will find here a subject of rare authenticity, away from the beaten tourist track.
Architecture
Saint-Hubert's chapel is part of the architectural vocabulary of small rural chapels in the Artennes region in the 18th century, borrowing from the canons of regional Baroque while tempering them with the sobriety typical of the traditions of northern France. The building probably has an elongated plan with a single nave and a flat or slightly polygonal apse, an economical and functional formula typical of chapels of this size. The western façade, the most elaborate element of the composition, would have featured a moulded portal framed by pilasters or pilasters, topped by a pediment or a niche housing a statue of the patron saint. The materials used reflect the local resources of the Artois region: brick, which was ubiquitous in 18th-century regional construction, probably dominates the structure of the walls, while ashlar - limestone from the Boulonnais or Artois regions - is reserved for the window surrounds, quoins and decorative elements. The gable roof is covered with Flemish tiles or slate, according to a tradition that varies from one commune to another in the Pas-de-Calais. Inside, the space is organised around a single liturgical axis leading from the entrance to the altar, in accordance with the requirements of post-Tridentine worship. The walls are punctuated with pilasters or simple moulded bands, and the vaulting - low barrel vaulting or semi-circular vaulting at the apse - creates a slight sense of spaciousness despite the small size of the building. A Baroque altarpiece, a statue of Saint Hubert accompanied by his stag, and 18th or 19th century liturgical furniture are probably the focal points of the interior decoration.
Related Figures
Saint Hubert (656-727) — évêque de Liège, patron des chasseurs, dont la dédicace de la chapelle perpétue le culte en ArtoisSeigneur local de Mazingarbe (XVIIIe siècle) — commanditaire probable de la construction dans le deuxième quart du XVIIIe siècleConfrérie des chasseurs de Mazingarbe — communauté pieuse vraisemblablement liée à l'entretien et à la dévotion de la chapelleCuré de la paroisse de Mazingarbe (XVIIIe siècle) — acteur de la vie liturgique de l'édifice à sa fondationMinistre de la Culture (1977) — signataire de l'arrêté d'inscription aux Monuments Historiques du 28 mars 1977
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle Saint-Hubert located?
Chapelle Saint-Hubert is located in Mazingarbe, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Chapelle Saint-Hubert built?
Chapelle Saint-Hubert dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle Saint-Hubert open to visitors?
Chapelle Saint-Hubert is currently closed to visitors.