Travel Guide Utelle

Utelle bears witness to a rich medieval past: massive houses built high up, pointed arches, stone lintels, trompe-l'oeil facades, sundials and chapels. The commune of Utelle is made up of 5 hamlets, all with their own identity, spread around the sanctuary of the Madonna of Utelle: le Chaudan (Train des Pignes station), Reveston, le Cros-d'Utelle, Saint-Jean-la-Rivière (where the town hall is) and le Figaret Paths connect each of these villages, and especially allow access to the sanctuary Notre-Dame-Des-Miracles, which culminates at 1,200 m altitude. For a quick historical point, the origins of the sanctuary go back to the year 850. Spanish sailors caught in a storm off the coast of Provence vowed to build an oratory dedicated to the Virgin if they survived. While they were praying, she appeared to them, granted their wish and showed them a shining peak. It was there that they erected a "pillar", which was enlarged over the centuries and became a chapel. Very early on, the clergy organized large pilgrimages there and encouraged this devotion. The statue of the Virgin Mary is probably an 18th century work in polychrome wood. The sanctuary was devastated during the Revolution and rebuilt by the people. The cloister around the chapel, enclosed by thick walls, dates from 1871 And to return to the village, Utelle also bears witness to a rich medieval past: massive houses built high up, pointed arches, stone lintels, trompe-l'oeil facades, sundials and chapels