Saint-Jeannet: Chapelle Saint-Jean and the Asse Valley landscape

If you’re looking for a hotel in Saint-Jeannet, the village’s history, a hike to Chapelle Saint-Jean and roadside nature observations can each add a different dimension to your stay. The village combines a historic settlement site, a specific walking time to the chapel and remarkable oak trees.

Chapelle Saint-Jean and the former village site

Chapelle Saint-Jean marks the original site of the village in the Asse Valley. The former Saint-Jeannet stood on a hill beside the chapel, which was once the village’s parish church. An ancient road linking Riez and Digne also passed through Saint-Jeannet. The village later settled in the valley after the medieval site of Saint-Jean was abandoned. The chapel, the hill and the later settlement thus belong to different periods in the village’s history.

Chapelle Saint-Jean is a Romanesque building and bears witness to the continued presence of Romanesque art in Haute-Provence. It was listed as a historic monument by a listing order dated April 22, 1954. Its former status as a parish church and its connection to the original village site give a visit a clear historical context.

Hiking, the La Routo route and the view

The round trip on foot from Saint-Jeannet to Chapelle Saint-Jean is listed as taking one hour. The hike leads to a place where history and landscape come together: the chapel offers a remarkable view of Saint-Jeannet and the characteristic landscape of the Asse Valley.

The La Routo route also follows a path to Chapelle Saint-Jean, a Romanesque chapel dating from the 14th century. The hike begins at a parking area on the edge of the RD8, beyond the village of Saint-Jeannet. This gives you both a specific walking time for the round trip and a named starting point for the route to the chapel when planning your visit.

Roadside oak trees

The Chêne Ananas is a remarkable downy oak (Quercus pubescens). Its distinctive feature is the swelling at the base of the trunk, known as a broussin or loupe. The tree is on private property and can be viewed during a roadside stop. Its location on private land is therefore just as relevant to planning a visit as the distinctive shape of its trunk.

The Chêne Pierre d’Arc also stands by the road and can be viewed during a stop there. Its downy oak is called “rouro” in Provençal. The two trees thus offer different details to observe: the swelling on the trunk of the Chêne Ananas and the local name for the oak at the Chêne Pierre d’Arc.

Landscape and other traces of the village’s history

Saint-Jeannet lies in the Vallon du Cardaïre and on the Route du Temps. The Ravin des Cardaires connects the village with the Asse Valley. Traces of terraced cultivation remain in the valley landscape. These features relate to different aspects of the area: the Vallon, the connection to the valley and the visible traces of earlier cultivation there.

A few old drying sheds for plums or pistoles can also be seen in Saint-Jeannet. They complement Chapelle Saint-Jean with another part of the village’s visible history: the chapel represents the former parish function and the medieval village site, while the sheds are associated with drying plums or pistoles. Together with the traces of terraces in the Asse Valley, they offer further concrete points of interest in a landscape that also features historic paths and buildings.

Discover more destinations: Entrevennes, Aubignosc, Cruis, Esparron-De-Verdon, Banon, Lardiers, Seyne, Noyers-sur-Jabron.

For the broader travel guide: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.