A page dedicated to the municipality’s lack of response regarding the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel and the falsifications reported in the municipal archives.
Lack of response from the municipality and absence of restoration brought to our attention [Back to summary]
Since August 2022, our association has sent several emails to the Municipality of Rochemaure regarding the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel and the falsifications identified in the municipal archives. To date, we have received no reply to these messages.
We met the mayor on 7 May 2021. During that meeting, he told us that the municipality would take action. Since then, no restoration work has been brought to our attention, and our repeated follow-up emails have remained unanswered.
The silence in response to our démarches has now lasted for several years. In the absence of any reply from the municipality and of any publicly identified information concerning restoration of the chapel, this matter remains, to date, without any visible follow-up. To our knowledge, no restoration of the chapel and no removal of the disputed elements previously reported to us have been brought to our attention.
This situation is all the more regrettable because the municipality continues to present the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel as part of its local heritage.
Timeline [Back to summary]
- 7 May 2021 — in-person meeting with the mayor. Our association was received in Rochemaure. In later emails, we recalled that the mayor had then indicated that the municipality would take action regarding the Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel.
- 14 August 2022 — email sent to the mayor. Subject: “Profanation chapelle Notre-Dame des Anges et plainte mairie”. This message recalled the alleged desecration of the chapel, mentioned the addition of a “Cheynet de Beaupré” stele, several ex-votos inside the chapel and a tomb outside, referred back to the meeting of 7 May 2021, and asked about the steps being taken to restore the chapel and about the municipality’s complaint concerning civil-status records that had allegedly been falsified, removed or damaged.
- 1 September 2022 — follow-up email. Our association recalled that the questions asked remained unanswered, that the mayor had seemed determined to act during the meeting, and asked why no reply had been received.
- 1 October 2022 — further follow-up email. Our association followed up with the municipality regarding the questions already raised.
- 28 January 2024 — formal follow-up. Our association noted the absence of any reply, recalled that the mayor had stated he would take the necessary steps, and asked about the status of the démarches intended to restore the chapel.
- 22 March 2025 — formal notice requesting a reply. This letter recalled the many emails that had remained unanswered since August 2022, the exchange of 7 May 2021, the apparent absence of concrete action, and the facts reported: the stele, the ex-votos, the exterior tomb, and records allegedly falsified or removed. It requested a full reply within 15 days and asked specific questions about restoration of the chapel, removal of the disputed elements and follow-up to the reported falsifications.
- 1 March 2026 — further email to the mayor. Our association recalled that no reply had been received since August 2022, not even an acknowledgement of receipt, referred again to the meeting of 7 May 2021 and to the action then indicated, and noted that no visible follow-up had been brought to our attention.
Complaint against persons unknown filed by the Municipality of Rochemaure [Back to summary]
On Thursday, 29 March 2018, the Municipality of Rochemaure had a bailiff officially record that all civil-status records kept in the municipal archives bearing the name “Cheynet de Beaupré” were falsified records.
The Municipality of Rochemaure then filed a complaint against persons unknown with the Public Prosecutor in Privas in order to have those records invalidated.