Chapelle des Pénitents Noirs (Chapel of the Black Penitents), Avignon

The Chapel of the Black Penitents in Avignon stands as a testament to the city’s rich religious history. Originally founded in 1586 by Pompey Catiline, a Florentine noble and trained soldier sent by Rome, the chapel hosted the Brotherhood of the Black Penitents of Mercy. This brotherhood was one of several penitential groups that emerged in Avignon, following the Grey, White, Blue, Violet, and Red Penitents, each distinguished by the color associated with their order.

The Black Penitents established their headquarters in the chapel of the Hospital of Notre-Dame de Fenouillet in 1591, near Porte Aurose. They expanded it with a sacristy in 1620 and an ante-chapel in 1631. In the 17th century, the chapel received rich woodwork and paintings by Avignon artists. In the 1720s, they managed the nearby Hospice of the Insane and made further embellishments under rector Manne. Architect Thomas Lainée began reconstructing the facade, but after he died in 1739, Jean-Baptiste Franque completed the work, which is still admired today.

The chapel's facade features a sculpture by Pierre Bondon of angels carrying Saint John the Baptist's head, reflecting the brotherhood’s focus on his beheading, distinct from their Florentine roots. Originally, the chapel had woodwork framing large canvases of the Passion of Christ and Saint John’s life. Many of these were lost during the Revolution and later replaced with 19th-century works, including pieces by Pierre Raspay and paintings of Saint Anthony of Padua's life.

Despite the changes over centuries, the Chapel of the Black Penitents remains the only chapel in Avignon that retains its architectural and decorative grandeur, as others were either destroyed or heavily altered in the 19th century. The chapel was designated as a historic monument in 1906, and although the Brotherhood ceased activities in 1948, it was revived in 1983, continuing to preserve this historical legacy.