Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe

Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe is a chapel in Aiguilhe, near Le Puy-en-Velay, France. The chapel is reached by 268 steps carved into the rock. It was built in 969 on a volcanic plug 85 metres high. The surface on top of the plug is 57 metres in diameter.

Bishop Godescalc of Le Puy-en-Velay had the chapel built to celebrate his return from the pilgrimage of Saint James in 951. The chapel is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron of mountaintops and other high places.

A prehistoric dolmen dedicated to Mercury by the Romans was built on the volcanic plug before the construction of the chapel. Three stones from this dolmen are said to be incorporated into the chapel.