Notre Dame de Pipet Chapel

You are standing at the top of the Pipet Hill overlooking the whole city of Vienne. The Notre-Dame de Pipet Chapel built in 1873 is a central place dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It unveils a Volvic stone statue of Mary sculpted in 1858.Built by Vienne-born architect Abel Jouffray, it quickly became one of the city’s symbols, as it’s the first thing one sees when arriving to Vienne. With its strategic location, Pipet Hill was a key player in the history of the town ever since roman times. Indeed, it allowed the Viennese soldiers to keep an eye on the area, and thus protect themselves from attacks, . Although the theater was already built and in use, Romans built an oppidum, a fortified city, at the top of the Pipet Hill, from which we can still see remnants around the Chapel. They are of course classified as Historical Monuments. Upon arrival of the Kings of Burgundy, the oppidum quickly turned into a fortress, which protected the town from assaults until its destruction during the 17th century. The chapel and the Virgin Mary statue came along only two centuries later. If it’s open, I highly recommend entering to discover its stunning decors.