La Chapelle de la Peur (The Chapel of Fear)

A small church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, originally built as an ex voto for miraculously saved soldiers, that became a pilgrimage spot to cure fearful children.

It all started with the promise of a family to the Virgin Mary: if their son came back safe and sound from the 1870 war that opposed France to Germany, they would built a chapel. As a lot of young men from the nearby village got saved, the Priest and a lot of the population got involved into the construction. In this deeply Catholic hearted population, it took just a few years to find a piece of land, gather the money and the material. Quite a lot of volonteers helped to built the monument, that was finished around 1874.

The real name is “Notre Dame de la Salette”, as the Chapel is dedicated to Notre Dame de la Salette, with statues of the Virgin Mary that is said to have appeared in tears to two young shepherds in La Salette, a small village situated not far in the French Alps. The ever sunning spring is said to be miraculous in these mountains continuously hit by drought.

The chapel stands on the top of a small hill and offers a 360° point of view over Les Monts du Lyonnais. It is lit all night long and is like a lighthouse for who passes nearby.

The legend says, if you come and pray, your deep fears will go away. It is a tradition for families to bring their shy child, or those who suffer from unexplained fears, especially at night.

The city office of Coise has built a table d’orientation, and a few panels that describe the story of the monument as well as the story of the region (in French).