Chapel of Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe is located in the hills of the commune of Aiguilhe, less than two hours by car from Lyon. The chapel of Saint-Michel sits atop a 269-foot-tall volcanic peak. Built in 969, the Romanesque church is dedicated to Saint Michael, the patron saint of mountaintops. Accessible via a staircase with 268 steps, this stone structure was called a “jewel of Romanesque architecture” by the French Romantic writer Prosper Mérimée and offers a panoramic view of the town below. In 1247, the bell tower was struck by lightning and then rebuilt in the 19th century while the frescoes were also restored during that period by the French painter Anatole Dauvergne.