Located in one of the “most beautiful villages in France”, Le Baptistère de Venasque has been classified as Historic Monuments since 1840. Check the opening hours.
Originally, the building was probably a Roman temple dedicated to Diana, Venus or Mercury.
According to tradition, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist was founded in the Merovingian period by Saint-Siffrein, monk of the Abbey of Lérins who became bishop of Venasque at the end of the 6th century.
The Baptistery was used to celebrate baptism by immersion of adult catechumens. This baptism could only be celebrated by the bishop and took place only twice a year.
Built in the Merovingian period (6th century), it was redesigned several times until the Romanesque period.
Some of the columns and capitals are probably Roman re-use materials, while some fluted and interlaced capitals are believed to date from Merovingian construction.
The four apses were redesigned from the 11th century onwards.
Despite numerous historical and archaeological studies, the Baptistery of Venasque has not yet delivered all its secrets.
Baptistère de Venasque
Place du Presbytère
84210 Venasque
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Dernière mise à jour 08/11/2024