Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time), by using the blue link-up button below.
The One-Room Chapels of Ile D’Orleans, Québec
A little more than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) east of downtown Québec City,
where the St. Lawrence River widens at Montmorency Falls as it starts to open into the gulf of St. Lawrence, you’ll find the bridge that takes you to historic Ile D’Orleans.
With its unique micro-climate tempered by the river, the island has been farmed continuously for hundreds of years. In fact upon his first visit to the island in 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier named the island Bacchus Isle, for the Roman god of wine, because of the many grapes he found growing there.
Often referred to as the cradle of French North America, the first colonists from the Normandy and Poitou regions of France began settling on Ile D’Orleans as far back as the 1650’s. In fact, quite a few of today’s French Canadian families can trace their roots back to early settlers who made the island their first home in the new world.
The island is almost 34 kilometers (21 miles) from tip to tip, and around 8 kilometers (5 miles) at its widest point, leaving lots of room for big well spaced farms.
Today you’ll find not only wineries, but strawberry and potato farms, apple orchards, and maple syrup producers, as well as a few local cheese-makers and even a few chocolateries 😛
The main road that circles the island, Chemin Royal (the Royal Road) was first completed in 1744. Back then this road was an essential lifeline for island inhabitants. Today it’s a popular way for day-trip drivers, and cyclo-tourists to take in all of the beauty the island has to offer.
Because people were so spread out, many were too far removed from the island’s few towns and villages. Even for the most devout Catholics, attending church on a regular basis was near impossible when the closest parish was many kilometers away.
To accommodate these people a series of strategically spaced one-room chapels were built on donated lands along the island’s Chemin Royal.
These chapels were rarely staffed but at least the faithful had a place to go to pray, or to offer thanks for a bountiful harvest or a good fishing season, and for weary travelers to stop for a moment along their journeys.
Of the nine Chapelles Reposoirs that were left at the end of the 19th century, six are still standing. On my recent doorscursion to the island, I was able to find four of them.
Frankly since they’re all supposed to be along the main road I really don’t know how I missed the fifth and sixth ones, but at least it gives me another excuse to go back 😉
As always, thanks so much for visiting 🙂
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Seems like a happy island with happy doors. I’m glad you’re going back for more.
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Thanks, me too 🙂
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I’m glad you posted this; never saw these small one room chapels before and they are very picturisque and interesting to explain the community’s history. All of the doors on them were great collections and I hope you find the missing 2.
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Thanks so much. I had no idea they existed until I stumbled across that first while exploring the island. I do hope to get back this summer to find the last two 🙂
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Those are cute little churches. I like the color of the last one.
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They are indeed – thank you 🙂
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Please tell me you tried the doors…were they locked? Or are the grumpy and weary still able to enter for a moment of solitude? What lovely photos Norm, and now you must be itching to get back to find #’s 5 and 6! Keep us posted…
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They were locked 😦
I don’t know if that was because it was mid-season or if they keep them locked all the time.
Yes I do hope to go back to complete the collection 😉
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Look forward to that post!
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These buildings and photos are lovely! My favourite is the arched door with the stained glass. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks Vanessa 🙂
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How charming are these?! And so romantic!
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I know right? I was thinking that if there was one place to stumble across something like this, Ile D’Orleans would be it 🙂
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Beautiful ! I especially love the first one with the red shutters. Lara
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Thank you Lara 🙂
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I’ve never seen anything like those little chapels before. Made it easier to find somewhere to pray (if you needed a place) than traipsing for miles and miles. Great that they are still in good condition.
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Thanks Jean. I guess it shows how important religious life was at the time.
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Those chapels look so adorable! It looks like a wonderful little island to visit. Always great to have a reason to go back 😉
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It is a wonderful place to visit. I’m hoping to go back again later this summer 🙂
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These one room chapels are beautiful. Like dolls’ houses.
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You’re right Helen. I remember thinking the same thing at one point 🙂
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Love this story of the island churches! And that they are still cared for. Warms the heart!
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Well it is a part of their history and heritage so I’m glad they’re trying to preserve that 🙂
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I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to visit Ile D’Orleans when we were in Old Québec last year. We did see it across the Saint Lawrence from Montmorency Falls and thought it would have been fun to continue our bike ride over there. Alas, we didn’t have time, but now we have a good excuse to return. Lovely little chapels and lovely doors.
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It’s too bad you didn’t get the chance to visit the Island, I’m sure you would have loved it. But as you say it leaves you with a good excuse to return 🙂
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They’re adorable. I do believe the first is my fave. Little red door, little red flowers. Lovely stuff.
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Thanks Joey. It had been at least 10 years since I had been there. I had forgotten all the wonderful little charms of this place.
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Oh, the ADORABLE tiny churches! Thank you so much for finding and photographing them and sharing them here!
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Thanks Marian – I thought they were all kinds of adorable too 🙂
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Wonderful and interesting find Norm.
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Thanks Ed. It was my favourite kind of find: totally unexpected 🙂
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I’ve noted fewer than a handful of small roadside chapels during my travels and always assumed it was something built as a bit of whimsy. Now I know differently. Thanks, Norm!
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It was an interesting discovery – thank you Maggie 🙂
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These little chapels are adorable! They look pretty well-maintained, considering their age
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They could still used a little more TLC but overall they are well-maintained 🙂
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Thank you Norm, loved this one.. =^_^=
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Thanks, me too. In fact I’m already looking forward to going back 🙂
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Oh my! These are stunning! You should share these at inSPIREd Sunday http://inspiredsundaymeme.blogspot.ca/
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Thanks for the tip Jackie. I will try to get over and check that out this weekend 🙂
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I love the little chapels. It must be so nice to drive along and see these little places where one can stop and say a prayer.
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Thanks. There are beautiful views and wonderful scenery everywhere on the island. It is a special place to visit 🙂
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These little churches are beautiful. It’s time for a trip to go and see them. Are they left open for people to go inside? I’m finding big churches are often locked these days. It would be nice to think people could pop in any time. There’s a farm on the island that produces the most yummy blackcurrant jam. I always try to pick up a couple of jars at the Montreal Christmas markets.
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Oh Susi, If you like quiet country roads, rural scenery, and sweeping views of the river, then Ile D’Orleans is a must-see. I was there mid-week and the Chapels I saw were all locked. I don’t know if that changes on weekends or during peak tourist season.
They are very cute all the same 🙂
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Ile D’Orleans is one of my favourite spots to visit in Quebec – partly for the food and partly for the bridge. I do love bridges … although I remember one trip when we decided to take the ferry instead.
One of my favourite visits was when we did a food tour with friends around the island stopping at various places to sample the meats, cheeses, pies, and beer. Ahhh – good times 🙂
I don’t remember the little churches though. They are so cute … how negligent of me to miss them! I certainly wouldn’t have known the history behind them. I love the fact that in spite of their pint size, they all have a bell 🙂
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It is a wonderful place to visit isn’t it? A food tour sounds right up my alley, and maybe a little bicycle too, and perhaps some wine but not at the same time as the bicycle 😉
Good catch on the bells – until you mentioned I had not noticed that they all have one.
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I really do love Quebec and Ile D’Orleans encapsulates everything good about it 🙂
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What a beautiful island and I love the concept of the little chapels. I do hope you return to find the missed ones, the ones you found are lovely, with wonderful doors. Thanks for sharing your visit, it looked like a glorious day too!
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Thanks Vicky, it was a wonderful day. Just the way I like them: not too hot, not too humid, and lots of blue sky 🙂
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There is a problem with the link Norm. Ian
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No worries I put it on the list for you this morning 🙂
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Thanks Norm. I will be away from regular Internet for the next two weeks. Would it be too much to ask you to put my prewritten Thursday Doors posts onto your list?
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Please go back. These little churches are truly beautiful, and I can imagine locals finding comfort visiting them to express concern or thankfulness regarding their harvest. Each one is truly handsome, colorful and just plain lovely. This island must certainly call out to locals and tourists. 🙂
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Thanks Judy. If you ever make it up to Quebec City, this is a side trip well worth making.
We’ve been wanting to do a bicycle tour of the island for quite some time now. Maybe this summer 🙂
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I love these little chapels. They are beautiful, and the doors are such a prominent feature (as doors should be). I think I like the one with the blue doors the best, although those red nd white ones are hard to beat. I’ve only ever seen a one-room chapel in rural Washington.
I know the crops are for sale, but I couldn’t help think of a menu with wine, apple pie, cheese, chocolate, strawberries and maybe a side of fries.
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Thanks Dan. I do like your menu a lot and if we go a little heavier on the wine, we may not even care that it’s not exactly a well-balanced meal 😉
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Technically, the only food group we’re missing is bacon 🥓
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Know virtually nothing about the French colonists. Am glad they took care of these chapel monuments for later generations to enjoy. They all look quaint, and because of their size, almost “cute.” Were most of them Catholic?
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Thanks. Yes the French were all devout Roman Catholic. They traipsed across the entire continent trying to convert the natives.
We all know how that turned out 😉
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Uh … lets keep it to the present. That’s complicated enough:):) By the way, does this mean that Canada is still predominantly Catholic?
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Just Quebec. I suspect the extent of their Catholicism is only to mark “Catholic” on polls – if asked.
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French Canada is Catholic. English Canada is predominantly Protestant. Though like many places in the developed world, the percentage of people who actually practice either has been in decline for decades.
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Thank you Norm. That makes sense to a European like I:) Have a great weekend.
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