Lanterne des Morts
Monument
Lanterne des Morts, located in Nonglard (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
- Nonglard, Département 74, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 45.9182, 6.0198
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00118415
A rare 17th-century lantern for the dead, erected in the peaceful Savoyard village of Nonglard, this listed funeral monument embodies Alpine Baroque spirituality and the medieval tradition of guiding souls.
History
In the heart of the village of Nonglard, in the Haute-Savoie countryside dominated by the foothills of the Pre-Alps, stands one of the most unique heirs to an architectural tradition that has all but disappeared: the lantern for the dead. Erected in the 17th century, this funerary column bears witness to a popular piety deeply rooted in the rural Savoyard world, at a time when death was omnipresent and carefully ritualised. What makes this building truly unique is its absolute rarity. Lanterns for the dead were already uncommon in the Middle Ages; to have survived until the 17th century and to have survived to the present day means that the community of Nonglard has jealously preserved its memory and integrity. In a regional context marked by a strong post-Tridentine Catholic influence, this monument embodies the persistence of archaic funerary customs reinterpreted in the light of Savoyard Baroque. To visit the lantern of the dead at Nonglard is to experience a special kind of silence, that of country cemeteries where time seems suspended. The building invites contemplation and a careful reading of the stone, revealing sculpted details that can only be discovered by turning slowly around the column. The low-angled morning or evening light highlights the reliefs admirably. The surrounding area adds to the emotion of the visit: Nonglard is a discreet rural village in the Annecy basin, nestled between pastures and orchards, just a few kilometres from Annecy. The monument is set in a typically Savoyard landscape where baroque bell towers dot the horizon, offering lovers of rural heritage a stop-off that is as unexpected as it is memorable.
Architecture
The lantern of the dead at Nonglard has the characteristic morphology of this type of building: a monolithic or assembled column in local cut stone, cylindrical or slightly polygonal in cross-section, rising several metres above the ground. The smooth or slightly moulded shaft rests on a stepped base, giving it stability and solemnity. At the top, a capital or openwork niche houses the cavity designed to house the light source, protected from the Alpine weather by a dome, pyramid or lantern crown pierced with openings. The materials used are those of the Savoyard building tradition of the 17th century: regional limestone, resistant to the rigours of the mountain climate, cut with particular care for the decorative elements. The mouldings and profiles bear witness to local craftsmanship, influenced by the Baroque and Classical currents that permeated Savoy religious architecture at the time, while retaining a sobriety typical of the rural world. The inside of the column is generally hollow, with a duct running through it to allow the flame to be aired and the light to be diffused outwards. This technical ingenuity, inherited from the Middle Ages, gives the building a dual dimension: both a monumental sculpture visible from afar and a functional instrument serving the funerary ritual. The overall height of the structure was probably in the region of three to five metres, in line with the proportions observed on comparable lanterns for the dead still in existence in France.
Related Figures
Saint François de Sales (1567-1622) — évêque de Genève dont l'influence spirituelle imprègne la piété savoyarde du XVIIe siècle, contexte dans lequel la lanterne fut érigéeFabriciens de la paroisse de Nonglard — gardiens anonymes de l'édifice à travers les siècles, responsables de son entretien et de la perpétuation de l'usage de la flammeCharles-Emmanuel de Savoie — duc régnant au tournant du XVIIe siècle, sous l'autorité duquel le duché connut un renouveau architectural et religieuxInspecteurs des Monuments Historiques (années 1960) — agents de l'État ayant instruit et prononcé l'inscription de l'édifice le 20 mai 1964, assurant sa protection pérenne
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lanterne des Morts located?
Lanterne des Morts is located in Nonglard, Département 74 department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, France.
When was Lanterne des Morts built?
Lanterne des Morts dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Lanterne des Morts open to visitors?
Lanterne des Morts is currently closed to visitors.