Of the 21 Oratories in the Municipal District of Digne-les-Bains, that of Saint Pancras and Pregatori is the largest.

It is at the crossroads of the old pilgrimage-routes, whether you come from the Thermes / Thermal-Spring Baths or Mouirouès.

In the 1940s it contained a boxwood statuette of Saint Pancras.

It was restored by the association  Les Amis du Pays Dignois / Friends of Digne and Its Surroundings in 1999 and rebuilt on the models and ruins of the old one with red bricks and a flat stone top from Forcalquier.

One of the oldest oratories in Digne is located in the Saint-Véran district; it is documented in 1727.

The oratories, which are very numerous in Provence, call for prayer and the search for spirituality. They were often built by individuals to fulfil a vow or to ask for divine protection for crops, animals and people.

They were frequently visited in Processions.

In 1180, there were three churches in Marcoux: Saint-Étienne's Church, Saint-Marcellin's Church and Saint-Martin's Church. Saint-Étienne's is the current Parish Church, Saint-Martin's was bought as a national asset during the Revolution and Saint-Marcellin's disappeared without a trace.

Saint-Etienne's Church, built at the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century, was part of the Cathedral Chapter of Digne until 1476 when it was transfered to the Bishop who was the Lord of Marcoux and remained so until the end of the Old Regime.

The building, with three vaulted bays with a barrel vault leading to a semi-circular apse, was listed as Architectural Heritage of Importance in 1927. The 1651 altar was listed in 1908 and the 1699 bell was listed in 1989.

The bell tower and belfry (built by Auguste Pellegrin, a locksmith in Digne) date from 1889, replacing a wall-belfry whose exact date of construction is unknown and which may not have been the first in this church.

Next to the church, three large limestone stones with notches in them can be seen, which probably come from the walnut-oil mill built on the banks of the Bléone river. It operated from 1635 to 1893. Recovered after the demolition of the mill by the floods in 1898, the large stones have been installed there since 1998.

From The Life & Times in Marcoux from 14th to the 19th Century - M.P. Baume

The objects, photographs and documents presented in this former presbytery are mostly donated by the local population and tell the story of the village around 1900.

There are reconstructed-replica grocery shops, classrooms, kitchens, linen-rooms, as well as numerous agricultural and craft tools.

The Eco-museum restores equipment and costumes (the Pilgrimage-Banner has just been renovated in accordance with Art & Heritage Rules & Regulations).

A close working relationship with the County Archives enables themed exhibitions and conferences (e.g. the typical door-to-door peddlers and livestock drives of the time).

Contacts for organising a visit:

  Gilbert: 07 85 41 80 69
  Danielle: 06 79 78 67 23
  Roger: 06 16 07 36 91
  Bernard: 06 71 52 33 58
  Françoise: 04 92 34 16 68
  Yvette: 04 92 34 90 14
  Dominique: 04 92 34 90 56
  Marc: 04 92 34 92 14

Probably built in the 12th century, the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Lauzière / The Chapel of Our Lady of Lauzière is an excellent example of Romanesque architecture in Haute-Provence due to its simple layout. Its single nave, central aisle, ends in a flat chevet end. Its small bell tower was built in the 17th century to replace the bell tower destroyed during the Wars of Religion.

It was restored at the beginning of the 21st century.

The interior features a gilded baroque high altar and wall paintings depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary in cartouches, an elalorate framing device, surrounded by trompe l'oeil painting techniques (optical-illusions) of balustrades, vases and garlands. These paintings are dated 1854 but are certainly a restoration of 18th century works.

The massive, half-ruined tower, which stands not far from the church, was originally two storeys high and was part of the fortification, which was probably abandoned in the late 15th century.