Chapelle St-Quenin

The Chapel of St. Quenin (Chapelle St-Quenin) is an unusual Romanesque chapel in the Provençal town of Vaison-la-Romaine. Dating from the 12th century but long thought to be older, it has a triangular apse decorated with a carved frieze.

There have been Christians in Vaison since at least the late 3rd century AD (for more details, see our article on Vaison-la-Romaine Cathedral). This chapel near the old burial ground is dedicated to Saint Quenin, a bishop of Vaison (556-78) who was canonized in 1205.

The highlight of the chapel is the unusual triangular apse, which is elegantly decorated with fluted pilasters topped with Corinthian capitals. Two of them have human figures: one just a face among foliage; the other showing a man with a large knife struggling with an animal.

The top of the apse and transepts is decorated with a lovely frieze assembled from ancient Roman panels. The cornice is also in a Classical style, with an egg-and-dart pattern. It's no wonder the chapel itself was long believed to date from Roman times.

In contrast, the flat west facade is very plain. Restored in the 17th century by Bishop Jean Marie de Suares, it bears his coat of arms in a bas-relief over the door.