Cocteau Chapel - Fréjus Tourist Office

The Notre-Dame de Jerusalem chapel, known as the “Cocteau Chapel”

The Notre-Dame de Jérusalem chapel, nicknamed the Cocteau chapel, originated from the dream of Louis Martinon, a banker from Nice.

It was originally planned as a private chapel, intended to serve the inhabitants of the Tour de Mare, an 'ideal city'. This ambitious vision aims to create a harmonious space for the community.

To bring this project to life, Martinon called upon Jean Cocteau, hoping that the artist would breathe a unique and incomparable artistic dimension into this place.

To enrich this work, he also surrounded himself with the architect Jean Triquenot and the painter Raymond Moretti, whose expertise would contribute to the visual and symbolic richness of the chapel.

The Cocteau Chapel: a work completed by friendship

The first stone was laid on February 24, 1963. However, the death of Cocteau on October 11 of the same year abruptly interrupted the project.

His adopted son and long-time friend, Édouard Dermit, then took over. He picked up his brushes again to create the frescoes and paintings, following the master's last sketches.

This is how he immortalized the “Passion of Christ” on the walls. He included an original detail: among the apostles of the Last Supper, we recognize the faces of Cocteau and his friend Jean Marais. This gesture symbolizes the intimacy and artistic modernity of the work.

The chapel, whose octagonal plan is inspired by both the tomb of Christ and the Pantheon in Rome, is full of symbols and anecdotes. Each element of the building seems to carry a profound message, reinforcing the unity between art and the sacred.

At the entrance, the crusaders' motto, 'Dieu le Veut', pays homage to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which had entrusted Cocteau with the design of this sanctuary. This detail underlines the link between history, faith and art.

The floor, meanwhile, is the work of Roger Pelissier, a ceramicist from La Tour de Mare, thus bringing a local and authentic artisanal touch which enriches the whole work.

Purchased and restored by the City of Fréjus in 1989, the chapel was classified as a Historic Monument that same year. This classification reflects the desire to preserve Cocteau's poetic and sacred work, while honoring his legacy.

In 2013, the chapel celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, also marking the 50th anniversary of the death of Cocteau, as well as that of his great friend Édith Piaf. This anniversary highlights the importance of this building in cultural and artistic history.

Today, the chapel remains a magical place, imbued with spirituality. Cocteau's soul dances through each colorful ray and each expressive fresco. It thus offers a poetic immersion in sacred art, while remaining a timeless witness to the unique history of this place.

Some biographical elements about the artist

Jean Cocteau: an artistic genius and a passionate relationship with the Mediterranean

Jean Cocteau, born on July 5, 1889 in Maisons-Laffitte, left his artistic mark on the XNUMXth century.

From his childhood, a tragic event turned his life upside down: the death of his father, when he was only 9 years old. This tragedy would profoundly mark his relationship with life and creation.

Although he was not interested in school, Cocteau quickly found his calling in art. In 1904, he was expelled from the Lycée Condorcet for indiscipline. From then on, he began a revolutionary artistic career.

Poet, playwright, filmmaker, graphic artist, designer and painter, his work spans all genres. He became friends with leading figures of his time. Among them, Erik Satie, for whom he would develop a deep admiration, and Francis Poulenc.

Passionate about the South of France, Cocteau found an inexhaustible source of inspiration on the Côte d'Azur. He was particularly attached to the city of Fréjus, where he carried out an important project: the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Jérusalem.

This project, which he designed with the architect Jean Triquenot, reflects his unique artistic vision. He chose his friend and adopted son, Édouard Dermit, to decorate the chapel. The building thus embodies the Mediterranean spirit with which Cocteau identified so much.

Bullfighting and Personal Drama: Jean Cocteau's Inner Struggles

But beyond his art, it was also bullfighting, a practice deeply rooted in the south of France, that attracted Jean Cocteau. Fascinated by the brutal and ritual aesthetics of bullfighting, he regularly visited the arenas of Fréjus and other cities in the south.

Bullfights, omnipresent in his imagination, also become a major source of inspiration. They nourish his drawings and his stories. These fights between man and animal, where art and violence mix, thus find a special place in his work. They illustrate an aesthetic of beauty in the fight.

However, Cocteau's life was also marked by personal dramas. The loss of his friend Raymond Radiguet, a young writer who died in 1923, represented a real turning point. After this ordeal, Cocteau went through a period of suffering, accentuated by his opium consumption.

He then turns to art and creation to confront his inner demons. This pain, which accompanies him throughout his life, is omnipresent in his works. It mixes with his incessant quest for beauty.

Jean Cocteau: love, commitment and artistic legacy

Cocteau found valuable support in his relationship with the actor Jean Marais, whom he loved deeply. Indeed, together they would share a long complicity.

Marais embodies the love and muse of a poet devoted to his art. For him, Cocteau will write unforgettable plays and films.

Beauty and the Beast (1946) will remain one of his greatest cinematographic works.

But beyond his relationships, Cocteau was a committed man. His ambiguous role during the Second World War marked his personality.

He thus advocated for the right to conscientious objection and defended his pacifism. In 1953 and 1954, he chaired the jury of the Cannes Film Festival.

In his later years, Cocteau retired to the Villa Santo Sospir on the Côte d'Azur.

He continued his work, creating frescoes which bear witness to his attachment to this region.

In 1960 he filmed Le Testament d'Orphée, a testamentary film that expresses his personal vision of life and death.

Jean Cocteau died on October 11, 1963. He is now buried in Milly-la-Forêt, in the Saint-Blaise-des-Simples chapel.

Finally, this place perfectly embodies the fusion of his love for nature, art and spirituality.

Opening times

Periods	Schedule
October 1 to March 31	Open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 16:30 p.m. Closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays.
From April 1 to September 30	Open Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and May 1st.

Last access to the site 15 minutes before closing.

Admission fees

Categories	Admission fees
Full price	3€ (individual ticket, valid for one day)
Frejus Pass	6€ (Fréjus Pass)
Fréjus Reduced Pass	€4
free	Children under 12 accompanied by adults (outside the school framework). Schools in Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël and their chaperones. Curator, journalist, tour guide, disabled person (upon presentation of proof).
Discount	Child aged 12 to 17, student aged under 25 (upon presentation of student card), large family (upon presentation of proof), job seeker (upon presentation of proof), group of more than 10 people, class outside Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël.