In Vanves, these quirky, semi-subterranean 18th-century buildings, long off-limits, are now open to visitors.

Here is an extraordinary heritage that the general public will soon be able to discover! After major renovation works, the glacières‑chapelle of Frédéric‑Pic Park in Vanves will open its doors to the public as early as September. More details to come!

Picture a semi-subterranean building, almost enigmatic in appearance, constructed in the 18th century to preserve... natural ice! Before the advent of modern refrigeration, people relied on ice cellars — essentially early, pre-industrial refrigerators — to store ice, keep food fresh, or whip up sorbets and cool drinks during the hot summer months.

In Frédéric-Pic Park, in Vanves (92), there were originally three structures, all situated within the grounds of the Duchess of Mortemart. Today, only two remain, and one has taken on a new spiritual significance: it was transformed into a chapel in the 19th century when doctors Voisin and Falret established a well-known health clinic there. As a result, we are faced with a unique building that is both technological and sacred: a refrigerated chapel.

Over the years, these unique structures have suffered from neglect: pollution, water infiltration, and aging materials have weakened the walls, roofs, and partially underground volumes. Due to a lack of maintenance, they have now been closed to the public for several years, despite standing as a testament to more than three centuries of local history.

The City of Vanves has kicked off a major restoration project to secure and consolidate the buildings, restore the roofs, skylights, stained glass, and façades, re-create the semi-buried volumes as they were originally, and welcome the public in comfortable conditions.

This project also forms part of a broader effort to showcase local heritage, highlighted by the “Regional Heritage of Interest” label awarded to the ice houses and chapel complex by the Île-de-France Region. In the long run, the idea is to offer the public guided tours to tell the story of the ice houses, thematic talks or exhibitions, workshops for children, performances and even intimate concerts in the renovated chapel. And now we know the opening date! See you on 19 September 2026, during the European Heritage Days to discover this unusual heritage!

Inauguration of the Vanves ice houses and their unusual chapel for Heritage Days 2026
During the 2026 Heritage Days, set off to discover Vanves’ restored ice houses and their surprising neo-Romanesque chapel at the heart of Parc Frédéric Pic. A fascinating plunge into the quirky heritage of Hauts-de-Seine, on the doorstep of Paris! [Read more]

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