The Notre-Dame de Liesse chapel bears witness to the religious fervor of the 18th century, but also to the fear that the Asse River once inspired, with its devastating floods.
The small chapel stands between the river and the road leading to the hamlet of Bellegarde d’Estoublon. Before the construction of the bridge over the Asse (17th century), it was on the main route to Estoublon, Bras d’Asse and, further afield, to Castellane and the Verdon region.
The building has an irregular rectangular plan. Inside, the sanctuary is preceded by a short bay corresponding to a former open porch, the arch of which is visible on the current façade. The choir’s 17th-century glazed ceramic pavement was unfortunately stolen in the 1980s.
The votive function of the chapel was established in the 19th century with the rescue of a person swept away by the rising waters of the Asse. The Virgin was thanked in the form of an ex-voto, the oldest pictorial representation of the village of Mézel.
