Heritage: Challand-Saint-Anselme

The water of the hamlet of Ruvère, that rises along the banks of the Evançon at the entrance to the Chasten valley, was used to operate the mills for the grinding of grains and for the making of walnut oil.
A completely renovated windmill reminds us of this activity. During the summer months tours of the windmill are available and exhibits are also held (for more information on the availabilities of the exhibits it is necessary to send a request to the municipal offices).

The parish church is situated within the residential area of Quinçod, on the site where the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Consolation, Saint Valentine and Saint Barbara originally stood, it was consecrated in 1762.

The building has a rectangular layout and a single nave. Inside it has an interesting eighteenth century tabernacle made of carved wood, painted and gilded with eight tortile columns and small statues of Saint John the Baptist. The altars of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady date back to the nineteenth century.
The church has numerous objects and sacred furnishings, dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

In the hamlet of Chatillonet we find the chapel of Sant’Anna which originates from the seventeenth century, it was rebuilt by the parish priest of Besenval, who blessed it on the 26th of July 1888.
Each year on the 26th of July there is a celebration at the shrine, a simple yet suggestive religious event.

In Challand-Saint-Anselme, a short distance from the houses of Orbeillaz, where the Arlaz river, crossing the forest, flows into a spectacular waterfall, lies a fantastic treasure under a dark colored rock. On the stone you can clearly see the outline of the entrance to the cave, that every year opens up a little, when the clock strikes midnight. In order to safe-guard the buried treasure, Cornetta placed a calf in the cave, that every day and every night lies down on the chest. In the magical moment when the hiding place’s door opens, the infernal animal falls asleep. For those wanting to possess the gold, the only problem is this: to open the chest without waking up the guardian sleeping on top of it and avoiding the risk of going to hell.