NOTRE-DAME
DU-HEC

NOTRE-DAME
DU-HEC

The Notre-Dame du Hec chapel is located on the edge of the Mayenne forest, in a green setting. The history of this Marian site is closely linked to that of the forest, once inhabited by numerous hermits. In the 12th century, some of the hermits who lived in the forest settled at Le Hec, near a stream. A document dated 1451 mentions the existence of a chapel at this location, without specifying its founding date.

Diocesan archives indicate that a "poor and narrow" oratory stood on this site long before the one that threatened to fall into ruin in the 19th century and which was rebuilt in 1826. The Marquis de Chavagnac authorized the construction of the current building, erected thanks to donations from various parishioners. This chapel was a place of pilgrimage until 1984.

A religious service is celebrated every August 15, the day of the Assumption, the feast of Mary, the cult of the Virgin having been celebrated in this place since the 12th century.

To the left of the chapel, a path allows walkers to climb the hillside to the foot of the Calvary. From this vantage point, you can see the Mayenne forest, and on the other side, the Coëvrons and the Buttes d'Hardanges.