St Antoine l'Abbaye The French people's favorite village 2025

In 2025, Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye confirmed its unique character and won the coveted title of France's Favorite Village. Located in Isère and nestled in the Chambaran hills in the heart of the Saint-Marcellin Vercors Isère region, this medieval gem captivates visitors with its exceptional heritage, timeless atmosphere, and year-round events.

The village's history is linked to Saint Anthony the Egyptian, whose relics, brought back during the Crusades, were believed to have the power to cure ergotism (St. Anthony's Fire). The sick mingled with pilgrims, and this immense crowd led to a proliferation of hospices such as hospitals and inns. The Hospitaller Order of Saint Anthony established itself in 1297 and transformed this small town into an important pilgrimage site, attracting monarchs and powerful figures from all over Europe. The abbey was transformed and became the Order's mother house. Hospital of the Dismembered, cloister, great stables, gardens, abbot's house, building for foreigners, gatehouse, reliquary treasures… Over the centuries, all life in Saint-Antoine was organized around this Order which radiated across Europe and had more than 370 commanderies, begging houses and priories at its peak until the 16th century.