The chapel and the story of Simon de Vez
Built in the 14th century, at the same time as the Dungeon, the chapel was subsequently dedicated to Simon de Vez, whose fate significantly marked the history of Valois. He received the castle from his father in 1604. He married the daughter of the Count of Auvergne, but made a vow of chastity on his wedding night ! Although he was a rich and powerful lord, he thereby renounced his title and possessions to devote himself to religion and become a monk. This decision had an important consequence: his land went to his sister, Adèle, who, by marrying Hubert IV Count of Vermandois, reunited the various counties of Valois through her marriage.
Count of Vexin and Valois, the coat of arms of Simon de Vez is carved on the bas-relief above the Chapel’s entrance door, which is called a "tympanum". Simon de Vez also appears on one of the stained glasses of the Chapel.
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It is in the old fireplace of the dwelling, which has now disappeared, that the artist François Morellet designed a minimalist piece in 1999. Born in 1926, Morellet integrated neon tubes in an avant-garde way to his creations as early as the 1960s. He is a major artist of geometric abstraction, an artistic movement which seeks purity and simplification through the use of geometric shapes. He is also a precursor of minimalism, the extreme simplification of forms, and is interested in the relationship between lines. Internationally renowned, he was the second artist to see his work integrated during his lifetime into the collections of the Louvre Museum.
Behind the chapel, a water mirror highlights the ruins of the old fortified dwelling. Designed by Pascal Cribier, this arrangement offers a perpetual play of light depending on the amount of sunshine, and a privileged exhibition space for Jean-Pierre Raynaud's Pot Or, a monumental sculpture covered with gold leaves. Another Pot Doré has been displayed since 2009 on the terrace of the Georges Pompidou Art Center in Paris. The artist is also famous for his works of white faience.
