Apart from the legends surrounding its foundation, the Chapel of Saint Amand is located on an ancient site.

During the Christianisation of Gaul in the first centuries of our era, the ecclesiastical districts were modelled on the administrative divisions of the Roman Empire. The Sout East of France was divided into two sectors or provinces, the Narbonensis secunda (the Narbonne sector or province) and the Alpes maritimae (the sector or province of the Alps and adjacent coastal area). The chief town of the Narbonne province was Aix-en-Provence (Aquae Sextiae) and that of the Alps and adjacent coastal area was Embrun (Ebrodunum). This lead to the creation of two major archdioceses, Aix and Embrun, that lasted until the French Revolution. The border between the two Roman provinces and between the two archdioceses ran over the ridge where the Chapel of Saint Amand is located, thus Clamensane was part of the diocese of Gap while Bayons was part of the diocese of Embrun.

It is therefore possible and probable that the site of Saint-Amand was a watch-out, sentry point, a guard post on "the border", prior to both sectors or provinces being later converted to Christianity.

The surroundings of this site are distinguished by the presence of one of the most beautiful groves of juniper trees (Juniperus thurifera) in Alpes de Haute-Provence.