Saint-Jacques Chapel

The Saint-Jacques Chapel, located in Mutzig on the Alsace Wine Route, about twenty kilometers from Strasbourg, is an important stop for pilgrims. It stands in the middle of fields, between Mutzig and Molsheim, on the very site of the village of Wege, wiped off the map in 1444, probably due to the Armagnacs or a devastating epidemic. Built in 1626 by Amélie Zand von Merlen, second wife of Jacques de Landsberg, in tribute to James the Greater, it was later handed over to the parish in the mid-19th century. A hermit lived there until 1857, watching over the building and the small adjoining cemetery, in a modest dwelling attached to the west facade. Above the south door, a high relief depicts Saint James the Greater in pilgrim attire, recognizable by his three shells on his chest, his large hat adorned with the Dreimeister, holding a book, a staff, and a pouch. The work is surrounded by four heraldic shields linked to the founder's family, including those of Von Landeck, von Sursberg, Zand von Merlen, and Landsberg. In 1866, the sanctuary was transferred by the owners of the Franciscan convent of Hermolsheim. The chapel, narrowly saved by a carpenter in 1981, is located at the end of Rue des Champs, along the railway line. Today, it remains closed to the public and can only be admired from the outside.