Chapelle des Chattrix
Monument
Chapelle des Chattrix, located in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (Département 74), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.8626, 6.7169
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118432
Nestling in the mountain pastures of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the Chattrix chapel reveals Savoyard Baroque sacred art in its mountain setting, with its bell-tower characteristic of the Mont Blanc valleys.
History
In the heart of the Mont Blanc massif, in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the Chattrix chapel is part of the tradition of mountain oratories and chapels that dot the Savoyard mountain pastures. Built at the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it bears witness to the deep piety of the rural communities of Haute-Savoie, for whom every hamlet and every locality deserved its own house of God, a spiritual refuge as much as a shelter from the rigours of altitude. What makes the Chattrix chapel so special is above all its remarkable integration into the Alpine landscape. Built in accordance with local architectural practices at the end of the Grand Siècle, it combines the sobriety of its limestone facades with the richness of its interior decorated in the Baroque style, a trend that was very popular in Savoie at the time under the influence of the Dukes of Savoy and the ultramontane religious orders. Its bell tower, probably topped with a zinc or slate bulb, punctuates the relief with an Alpine elegance. The experience of visiting the church is one of salutary simplicity: you approach the building along a path that gradually reveals the surrounding peaks, including the dome of the Goûter and the ridges of the Bionnassay. The interior, modest in size, is crammed into a small space with a decorative vocabulary typical of Savoyard art: a sculpted altarpiece, ex-voto statues testifying to the graces obtained, and a wooden altar painted in bright colours with gold highlights. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1976, the Chattrix chapel has since been protected to ensure the preservation of its architecture and furnishings. It is a must-see for anyone interested in the rural religious heritage of the French Alps, and offers photographers an exceptional setting, particularly at dusk when the low-angled light gilds the ancient stones of the façade.
Architecture
The Chattrix chapel has an elongated plan with a single nave, which was the most common type of Savoyard rural chapel at the end of the 17th century. The sober, rectilinear west facade features a semi-circular portal framed by ashlar jambs, above which a niche houses a statuette of the Virgin Mary or the titular saint, according to local custom. The bell tower, built either above the façade or to one side, is crowned by a bulbous or onion-shaped spire characteristic of the Savoy-Baroque style, inherited from the influence of religious architecture in neighbouring Piedmont and Lombardy. The walls, built of limestone and granite rubble bonded with lime mortar, are rendered in a light-coloured plaster that contrasts with the green of the surrounding mountain pastures. The steeply pitched roof, designed to withstand the heavy snow loads of Alpine winters, is covered in slate or lauzes, a material traditionally used in the Montjoie valley. The overall effect is one of solid technical mastery, the fruit of a mountain building tradition handed down from generation to generation. The interior concentrates most of the artistic interest: a carved and polychrome wooden altarpiece adorns the chevet, combining twisted columns, niches with statues and a broken pediment in late Baroque style. The side walls preserve traces of painted decoration and ex-voto statues, precious evidence of popular devotion. The paved floor, exposed larch framework and light filtered through small windows with simple stained glass create an atmosphere of contemplation typical of these high mountain sanctuaries.
Related Figures
François de Sales (1567-1622) — évêque de Genève, figure spirituelle majeure dont l'influence orienta la piété catholique savoyarde et inspira la construction de nombreuses chapelles rurales au siècle suivantVictor-Amédée II de Savoie (1666-1732) — duc de Savoie puis roi de Sardaigne, sous le règne duquel furent réalisés les embellissements baroques de la chapelle au début du XVIIIe siècleCommunauté du hameau des Chattrix — habitants-fondateurs qui financèrent par souscription collective la construction de leur chapelle dans le dernier quart du XVIIe siècleMaîtres maçons savoyards anonymes — artisans locaux formés à la tradition constructive alpine, responsables de l'architecture sobre et robuste de l'édificeSculpteurs sur bois de la région d'Annecy-Bonneville — auteurs présumés du retable baroque intérieur, issus des ateliers actifs en Haute-Savoie entre 1680 et 1730
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chapelle des Chattrix located?
Chapelle des Chattrix is located in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Chapelle des Chattrix built?
Chapelle des Chattrix dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Chapelle des Chattrix open to visitors?
Chapelle des Chattrix is currently closed to visitors.