In the hinterland of Nice, the road in the Gorges du Piaon is one of the most impressive approaches to the Mercantour area. Coming from Sospel, you drive through several hairpin bends that pull up the western slope of the gorge. In a slightly quieter section, you can see the chapel on the right on a rocky outcrop and you come to the bridge that serves as an access. Now you should hold.

The chapel towers 780 meters above sea level over the Gorges du Piaon where the Bévéra stream flows.

Description

The sanctuary dates back to the 12th century. The original Romanesque building was oriented perpendicular to the current chapel, which dates from the second half of the 17th century. The facade is in simple Renaissance style.

It is thought that the old chapel belonged to the castle of the same name. The fortress was destroyed in the 15th century, remains are on the opposite slope. See also the penultimate picture on this page.

The origin of the name remains unclear. Variants such as Lamelor, Lamenone or Amenone appear in old documents. Toponymic interpretations yield "cairns" or "on high", but these are not historically sound.

There are regular train connections to Sospel on the Nice-Tende line. From there starts a taxi on demand with four fixed departure times on line F to Moulinet, the village north of the chapel. Information is available under Zest Transports Riviera (only french), go to "Se déplacer" and then to "Réserver un service à la demande".

Access by car

Getting to Sospel from Nice is fairly easy. You drive north via La Trinité and later over the Col du Braus pass to finally descend to Sospel. But you don't drive to the center. In the last hairpin bend, turn left (Moulinet, Col de Turini).

The road soon climbs again and becomes even more alpine in the Gorges du Piaon. This road alone is worth a trip. Go north in the canyon over several tight bends. The chapel is clearly visible after the last short double hairpin bend.

There is only one parking space for a maximum of two vehicles directly in front of the bridge when coming from the south. If they are occupied, you can only stop along the longer straight in the north, like the minibus on the penultimate picture on this page.