Itineraries of Sacred Art and Architecture

ITIN ERAS ITINERARIES OF SACRED ART AND ARCHITECTURE

SAINT-GERVAIS VALGRISENCHE MONT-BLANC

UNION EUROPÉENNE ALCOTRA UNIONE EUROPEA Fonds européen de développement régional Fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC ITINERARIES OF SACRED ART AND ARCHITECTURE

VALGRISENCHE

They are part of the landscape here in the mountains, but many pass without noticing them. They are part of our history, but many pass without knowing.

They are elements of our cultural heritage here in the Alps. 03 In order to give them their rightful place in the hearts and lives of the loyal inhabitants and one-time visitors who enjoy our land, we created Itineras. INTRODUCTION PRESENTATION OF ITINERAS 04 The Saint-Gervais Church The Saint-Gervais façade restoredin2016 ITINERAS, Alpineculturalheritage andpromoting Preserving The Valgrisenche belltower after restoration les Bains, of alpineculture. Saint-Gervais architecture inthelandscape importance ofsacred artand two regions representing the > it'sapartnershipbetween Valgrisenche. with thosevisitingSaint-Gervaisand traditions—to share theirheritage are proud oftheirhistoryand and encouraginglocals—who providing informationfortourists creating itinerariesofsacred art, to promote ourheritageby > it'saprogramme designed that permeatestheirdailylives. relationship withthesacred heritage communities andtheirspecial the identityofthesemountain and worksofartthatrepresent both townsbyrestoring structures cultural andartisticheritageof > it'sanoperationtoprotect the culture isdeeplyrooted. in theentire valleywhere mountain and V between traditionandmodernity, Blanc, presents adynamicbalance algrisenche, theonlytown

at thefootofMont barriers. Genuineaxisofcommunication area. thesamesparkle Buttheyallhave Volunteer ambassadors, eachwiththeir dominated bythesurrounding summits dominated and womenpaynoheedtoimpassable one ofthemostessentialcrossroads in exchange. Presentonbothsidesofthe Saint-Gervais and Valgrisenche Valleys Saint-Gervais these valleys have always beenmajor always these valleyshave Northern Alps, is theDuchédeSavoie mountains don'tmeet, mountainmen own style,own itinerary, andvisionofthe life andwillbeabeaconduringyour But don'tbefooled, eventhoughthe This sparklehasaname. Itiscalled in their eye that bringstheir talesto in theireyethat When youseethesetwovalleys, so that actasimpassablebarriers,that the between ItalyandNorthernEurope, passageways andopportunitiesfor passageways Among those who have chosen Among thosewhohave to keeptraditionalivearethe A HISTORY OF LANDS FRANCE AND ITALY,FRANCE AND seem togonowhere. Europe's history. GREETERS. adventures. passion.

and the overly modest homes will surprise many ofyou.and theoverlymodesthomeswillsurprisemany Butbeyond religioussymbolism, its cousin, werepartofsomethemostconcreteaspectslife. thesupranatural—and It was to mark the community's attachment to spirituality that thesemountaindwellers tospirituality that It wastomarkthecommunity'sattachment A large part of the everyday lives that arelivedhereweresurrounded byreligion—and lives that A largepartoftheeveryday The contrast between the luxury of the monuments—in flamboyant baroquestyle— of themonuments—inflamboyant The contrastbetweentheluxury Popular beenbasedonprofaneandsacredconnections. alpineculturehasalways churches, chapels, representthecommunity'sculturalheritage: andbelltowers one that is passed on through the generations asasymbolofcohesion. ispassedonthroughthegenerations one that FROM PROFANETOSACRED,THEREISJUSTONESTEP invested astronomicalsumsinbuildingreligiousedifices. Valgrisenche, attheentrance Whether inSaint-Gervaisor of interculturalism. community, heritagecarriestheseal artists, byonepersonoranentire by famousmastersorunknown our history. Whetherbuiltorcreated birthing legends,heritagebecomes times, guarding ourmemoryor event, reflecting darkorhappy Based onanordinary lifeormajor our culturalheritagesubstance. glass oriron, humannature gives Whether madeofwoodorstone, heritage issacred ELSE, THAN ANYWHERE HERE MORE

crossroads. heritage are alwayslocatedatour church courtyard, thesymbolsofour path, intheheartofachapelor of ahamletorinwindingmountain talking aboutus,you. them thefloor. Solisten!Theyare many talestotell,wewantedgive And becausethere isundeniablyso and sacred, singularanduniversal, pastand future. They areacross, achapel, achurch, They arebothrealandimmaterial, profane an altarpiece...

SACRED HERITAGE 05 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 06 SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC Epoque— ski liftsandbuildingsfrom LaBelle and creating acohabitationwith thrills ofswimmingthrough ariver of slidingdownamountainwiththe its own—bringingtogetherthefun resort intheAlps.Inastylethatis is thebiggestmountainthermal therapeutic benefits,Saint-Gervais for over200ans.Thankstoits been supplyingthethermalresort It isalsothespringwaterthathas walked on. itineraries thatare impatienttobe bustle all-yearround andoriginal Mont Blancrange,withvillagesthat the balconiesandpanoramasto Véroce, andLeBettexwhichform It isalsoLeFayet,Saint-Nicolasde to climbtheMontBlanc. point fortheNorthWest Ridgeroute Europe”, butitisalsothedeparture be hometothe“RoofofWestern Saint-Gervais isveryhappyto elevation. with itswhopping4,808.73min If is,ofcourse,theMontBlanc, the skyislimit SAINT GERVAIS,

to thefuture! history, allwhilekeepingakeeneye pride intheirculturalheritage and experience thevillageand thelocals' A thousandandoneways to concerts, museums,etc. four seasons.Festivals,expositions, numerous eventsthatrhythmthe Saint-Gervais isalsoculture, with next totheBionnassayglacier. an elevationof2,372metres, right Saint-Gervais totheNidd'Aigleat highest traininFrance—connects the Tramway duMont-Blanc—the To climbthemythicalmountain, Chamonix Valley. Gervais, whichprovide accesstothe of course,LesHouches/Saint- and LaGiettaz,including, Megève, Combloux,lesContamines, 400 kmofpistes,givingaccessto Mont-Blanc skiarea withover Saint-Gervais isalsotheEvasion

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a n t MON r Church Saint-Nicolas Bionnay ds in Véroce in Montivon Chapel Chapel T T AMINES- JOIE E O Montivon Bionnay Chapel A TMB rr S Chapel Church Oratory Cross êt Tramway duMontBlanc(TMB) Le Champel La Gruvaz Chapel Champel Chapel TMB station Cemetery Car Park City Hall BIONNASSAY Montjoie Theatre Pile PontExpo Thermal baths Museum ofSacredArt at Bionnassay C Chapel o 1653 m l de V oza Tourist O ce Miage Oratory Châtelet ruins Fortiﬁed houseinHautetour departure station Bettex gondolalift Espace Mont-Blanc Bellevue C o l duMontLa c hat 2073m LE BETTEX MEGÈVE LE FAYET Cupelin Chapel Taguy Champoutant Chapel Cupelin Chapel SNCF Fayet Church Le G V ernay Le o llet La Combe Chapel Gollet Chapel ST-NICOLAS-DE-VÉROCE Saint-Gervais Church SAINT-GERVAIS La Combe Berchat Oratory Thermes Chapel Le Né Beaulieu r LE ey P ASSY FA A 40 YET in LesPlans Chapel Oratory Vieux PontduDiable ProtestantChurch The laVignette Plateau delaCroix Crossofthe P acca Mont of theChattrix r Les Plans Chapel d in Pratz Chapel La T Les P oile

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MAP OF SAINT-GERVAIS 07 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 8 Four centuriesofhistory. SAINT-GERVAIS AND 74170, SAINT-GERVAIS-LES-BAINS AVENUE DUMONTD’ARBOIS, SAINT-GERVAIS CHURCH sound in harmony withit." sound inharmony andfaith,joy maymystainedglasswindows baroque altarpiece in this church sings of who speaksofitinthesewords: "Asthe mynewstainedglasswindows— of creating Dominican priest, KimEnJoong—incharge cultures, thisaltarpiecealsoinspiredthe of the 19 the start was restored by Jean Eichorn at high altar, the1792fireand whichsurvived here, youcanadmiremyaltarpieceonthe Among someoftheremarkableelements TIME WORKEDITSMAGIC th century. Through centuries and

GPS LAT. 45.89200735730° LONG. 6,71124090605°

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OBJECT SAINT-PROTAIS CHURCH 2C major discovery. was protectedbythefaçade'splaster, andisa actually subsisted. Pierre Anselme's, however, Because theyweretemporary, fewfriezes French Revolution. frieze, aseigniorialrightrevokedduringthe therightof of lordsinMontjoie—illustrates frieze—afamily Anselme family'sfunerary work,Discovered duringrestoration the IN MOURNINGFOROVER400YEARS FREE ENTRY 8 AM-7PM OPEN EVERYDAY

ACCESS "Admit it! and splendid After seeing my bell tower thanks tothepeoplewho, bothinsideandbeyond performed fromMarchtoDecember2016forthe say that Iwasprettywellrestored.say that The workwas drawn borders,drawn without counting—justlike gave paintings, stainedglasswindows, andaltarpiece, them, thisisarebirth!No, really, thisfaceliftis, if my inside walls or the funerary friezediscovered my insidewallsorthefunerary their ancestorsbeforethemin1696, whenIwas de la Vougnaz andPierredel’Eglise, assistedby I may, somethingofamiracle! wouldn't Butthat actually betrue. renewedwithmybeauty Ihave built bymastermasonslikethe Valsesians Jean Itineras projectandwasgenuinelyrejuvenating. And theoriginalpolychromepaintingsfoundon I'm pretty well conserved! Itwouldbebetterto I'm prettywellconserved! you must be saying that at over400yearsold, at you mustbesayingthat under myfaçade'splasterwon'tdisagree. For outside façade, afterlingeringinfrontofmy Pietro Rossoand Antonio Janetta. " THE SAINT-GERVAISCHURCH, PICK FRESH ASNEW TOP

abroad. Myfaçade—saidtobeoneofthemost required to build metolocalswho had emigrated Claude-Etienne Colliex. thefunds Iowe that Iknow he wasItalianandworkingunderFather Ijustcan'tremember.time that isthat All Iknow Don't askmewhobuiltme. It'sbeensuchalong BEAUTY ISINTHEEYEOFBEHOLDER SAINT-NICOLAS CHURCH Sacred artinastateofbrilliance. SAINT NICOLASCHURCHANDTHEMUSEUMOFSACREDART

emotion. least it will provoke a profoundly unforgettable at believers, And ifitdoesn'tturnyouintofervent Vienna in1733. Mybaroquecharmisirresistible. Antoine Herzog, Saint Nicolas in Glory, painted in Clairant, andlet’s notforgetthecentralpaintingby circa1698-1702 by Jacques high altarcreated my vaultedceilings, myfivealtarpieces, andmy with thefamousSaint-Nicolasbluepaintingson givesmeaningtotheword "magnificent",that Behind myaudaciousarchitectureliesaninterior is, however, of seduction. not my only weapon portal andrelieftrompe-l'oeilelements— region,beautiful intheSavoie withthemonumental 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS SAINT NICOLASDEVÉROCE As toldbyBernardGrandjacques, thechurchtreasurefromSaint-Nicholasparish"washidden by FatherinafarmNantBlanchetduringthetroublingtimesofRevolution, David andhelet liturgical fabrics that belongedtothechurchandsurroundingchapels.liturgical fabricsthat The museumwasentirely Today, theMuseumofSacred Art ishometoseveralpreciousobjects, paintings, sculptures, and renovated in 2008 and presents the valley's religious traditions in connection with the history in2008andpresentsthevalley'sreligioustraditionsconnection with thehistory renovated

GPS LAT. 45.85468579650° LONG. 6,72308920892° Church treasureisthetermforallpreciousobjectsanddocumentskept everyone believehehadtakenitwithhiminexile.everyone Itwasn'tuntilthe1950s

1180M that it was once again foundandplacedinthepresbytery." itwasonceagain that

CERTAIN BANKHOLIDAYS PM -6CLOSEDNOVEMBER AND MUSEUM OPENFROMWED.TOSUN.3 - FREEENTRY CHURCH OPENEVERYDAY8AM-7PM of itsinhabitantsand, inparticular, itspedlars. 7E PICK TOP

AT THEMUSEUMOFSACREDART within thewallsofachurch. THE HIDDENTREASURE

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SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 9 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 10 The hamlet'sfirstchapel. BIONNASSAY CHAPEL themes. characterisation, a way to glorify religious Church,the Catholic initstheatrical whosaw popularandsupportedby baroque wasvery backtothe17thcentury.date A timewhen andSaintMadeleine,to SaintLawrence anditsdécor,The currentchapel dedicated BAROQUE, SIGNOFTHETIMES 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS HAMEAU DEBIONNASSAY, CHAPEL ATBIONNASSAY

GPS LAT. 45.86468178320° LONG. 6,75545153739° ANECDOTE quite often. " time I climb up there, to say is which I have andcomesbackto me every in my memory Since then, hasbecomeengraved thisimage prie-dieu withmygrandmother'snameonit. ona andwassurprisedbyaplate the chapel on ourhike. onedayIentered how That's the chapel, stops wasoneofourfavourite birthplace. Hisbirthhome, nextto located to Bionnassayoftenasitwasmyfather's "When Iwasjustachild, wewouldcomeup GILLES REMINISCES:

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M ACCESS Back then, 200peoplelivedhere, and200visited chapels werebuilt.chapels To pray tothe and Virgin Mary And in line with the pioneering spirit of those that And inlinewiththepioneeringspirit ofthosethat invoke the protection of patron saints,invoke theprotectionofpatron butalsoto I was the first rural chapel intheMontjoieI wasthefirstruralchapel Valley. winter' took on a very straightforwardmeaning,winter' tookonavery and thepresenceofaplaceworshipbecame me assiduously. Becausebehindthesignof Instead ofbuildingchurchestospeakwithGod, Because beyondspirituality, Iwastheiridentity. faraway hamlets,faraway theexpression'tonotsurvive "I invite all those that wish to know how Igot how wishtoknow "I inviteallthosethat cross, ofbelonging. Iwasastrongindication thanks to the Baptendier familyandadozen thanks totheBaptendier come togetherandorganisecommunitylife. For allthesereasons, Iarrivedherein1480, In theseancienttimes, insomeofthemost built me, others. tomany Iopenedthepath here togoback500years. A FIRSTFORTHEVALLEY of particularimportance. CHAPEL ATBIONNASSAY other familyheads. PICK TOP

also can see it in the Saint-Gervais Church. also canseeitintheSaint-Gervais stained glass windows. You recognize the work? You all brought to light through Father Kim En Joong's and Child, SaintPeter andSaintGuarinus. This is of Jerusalem, oftheMadonna andthreestatues altar, the ofJesusat 'ThePresentation Temple' Among someoftheremarkableornamentsare A COLLECTIVEWORKOFART Founded inthe17 CUPELIN CHAPEL we cannolongercountthenumberofprayersaddressedtousbyfarmerswithin thesewalls." daily livesofthevillagers. With SaintGuarinus, saintofanimals, patron Iam witness. Since1654, andepidemics.catastrophes lifetoreligionandinviteditbecome partofthe gave Eachchapel of worship, saintschosentoprotectthemfrom theywereplacedundertheprotectionofpatron andhillsides.all overthecountry place whowantedtheirown Mostoftenfoundedbythevillagers wasn'twrong."Bionnassay Chapel After itwasfounded, beingfounded wererapidly otherchapels CUPELIN CHAPELNEIGHBOURHOODWORSHIP th century.

74170 SAINT-GERVAIS CHEMIN DELACHAPELLE, CUPELIN CHAPEL ANECDOTE to thesculptorsinregion. " essence, thepine. This essenceisessential For this cross, Ilearnedaboutanew be toteachmesomethingneweachtime? apprenticeship job.first Mighttheirmission mission crosswasalsothesubjectofmy first religiouswork. Strangelyenough, the the copyofmissioncrosswasmy copy byMarie-ClaireMigliorini: "Creating The crossplacedoutsidetodayisarecent walls. placed, beforeitwastakenintothechapel wasthe missioncrossinfrontofchapel themissionheldin1826that commemorate organised missions in villages. It was to and thefaithofitsfollowers to stimulate Empire, religionfelttheneed theCatholic After theRevolutionandNapoleon MISSION: RENOVATION

GPS LAT. 45.88985500060° LONG. 6,69796705584° PICK TOP

950 M 950 3B ACCESS

SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 11 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 12

ANECDOTE The roleofemigratemerchants. CHAPEL INPRATZ to mine." construction, asthemountainscontributed contributedtoitsand Iamproudtohave also represents my connection with my land, Representing myfaith, inPratz thechapel me. itgave give backtomybirthplacewhat Hapsburg. Itwasthereforenormalformeto a close friend of Emperor Leopold I of From suppliertotheimperialcourt, Ibecame negotiator, Imovedtobeingbourgeois. climbing theladderofsuccess. From simple Imadeafortune, Ilearnedthat to everything this baggage, I leftfor Vienna andit's thanks extremeconditions.live andbreathe With and tenacious,courageous like all those who of solidarity. From theSavoyards, Iam adeepunderstandinglimits andembody mountains, Ihonedthewilltoexceedmy for commerceandtravelling. From the "From mypedlarfather, Iinheritedataste THE STORYOFAPEDLAR'SCHILD FROM RAGSTORICHES, NICOLAS REVENAZ

74170 SAINT-GERVAIS HAMEAU DESPRATZ, DE MIAGE, CHAPEL INPRATZAVENUE

GPS LAT. 45.88250190600° LONG. 6,71644192691°

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M ACCESS organising aprocessionthankingthe Virgin Mary, Montjoie Valley. After settingfiretoafirsthouse, ANECDOTE of the Assumption Day, thepriesthadwitnessed they left, sparingthevillage. Why? Ontheeve PICK TOP 3D "We arein1944, soonbeforetheLiberation. Two on GermancolumnsreachedLesPratz and having ourfirstinteractions with girls.and having " but totheideaofbeingwithoutourparents Lucie. "We wereaddicted—nottotheprayer, infrontofmyattentive of theRosary Aunt the chapel. We hadtorecitethefivedecades Mary, wouldmeetin allthekidsinvillage freedom. year, Every inMayforthemonthof "For me, represents in Pratz the chapel GABRIEL CONFESSES a miracle bythe Virgin Mary. From thereto assassinated byresistancefightersinthe assassinated

a mission to avenge twooftheirsoldiers a missiontoavenge FOLLOW THE15AUGUSTPROCESSION, AND GO70YEARSBACKINTIME there wasonlyonestep."

Worshipping thesaints. LA GRUVAZCHAPEL décor andcharacteristicmovement. still there, the golden baroque illustrating the cherubsandplantsinbas-reliefare lowered. Yet, saints, protectedbymypatron lost itsuppersectionwhentheceilingwas twisted columnswithcompositecapitals painted woodenaltarpiecewithtwothin, Gifted bytheJacquetfamilyfromPassy, my THE SKYFELLONHISHEAD 8F 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS HAMEAU DELAGRUVAZ, 65 CHEMINDELAGARENNE, LA GRUVAZCHAPEL

GPS LAT. 45.84690167000° LONG. 6,73667802840°

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M altarpiece's painting. Bydoingthis, theymade They viewed the patron saintsasintercessors They viewedthepatron "Saint Gratus, SaintBernard, Saint of Anthony 17 Saint JohntheBaptist, SaintJamesand them daily, to itwas importantforthechapel capable ofwardingoffcalamities,capable protecting Padua, SaintJucundusof Aoste, SaintPeter, me anessentialandiconicplaceofworship is whythehamlet'sinhabitantsfoundedme ACCESS be asclose aspossibletotheirhomes. This indicating direction.indicating And sincetheyinvoked th for thepeoplelivinghereinmountains. tried to break away fromtheparishchurch tried tobreakaway in 1660. mysaints livedup that Itappears Mostofthe inthe Alpine saintsvenerated and18 to their reputation sincesomeinhabitants to theirreputation harvests, animalsandland, aswell 100 yearslater, prayerwent butthat th centuriesarerepresentedonmy do you not know whototurnto? doyounotknow A SAINTAMONGSAINTS, PICK LA GRUVAZCHAPEL TOP Francis deSales: unanswered."

TRUST US!

SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 13 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 14 Devotion totheVirgin. BIONNAY CHAPEL shaped altarandaltarpiece. shaped Piedmont region, thetomb- whoalsocreated was JoachimGualino, anarchitectfromthe were transferred. The building's architect Octenier family, rights oncethepatronage rebuilt 150yearslater, thankstothe Nicolas de wasentirely Véroce—this chapel GrandpierreofSaint- patronage,—alias Built in1623undermylordNicolasDuquit's WHISTLE WHILEYOUWORK SAINT-GERVAIS HAMEAU DEBIONNAY,74170 2 ROUTEDEBIONNASSAY, BIONNAY CHAPEL

GPS LAT. 45.86704205170° LONG. 6,72832766052° ANECDOTE 5E Bionnassay bytheCreypath. “ Iwould climbon therightpath...when upto I'm notChristian, set me always thischapel experience,from my own and even though closed. We letthemcomein, shouldhave as who tooktotargetingitaswasalways bytheneighbourhood kids was notsaved in 1892, by the tragedy "Saved thechapel FRANÇOIS, AKAFANFAN, ON THEWAY

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ACCESS At aroundtwointhemorning, Irememberfeeling century ago,century Idon't andnotonedaygoesbythat making merelivethenightoverand overagain." with it, apartoftheFayet destroyed hamlet, and ensued brought the Saint-Gervais thermal baths thermal baths ensued broughttheSaint-Gervais that those who come to me always talkaboutit, thosewhocome tomealways that the exceptionofschoolandyourstruly, both days later, was thecatastrophe welearnedthat miraculously saved fromthewaters.miraculously saved Justafew the Tête-Rousse glacier. overa This happened wiped the Bionnay hamlet off the map— with wiped theBionnayhamletoffmap— due toasuddenbreakinsub-glaciallake think backonthisterribleevent. tosay Ihave went sofast. Inablinkofaneye, 175people were victimsofthewater. The mudslidethat torrent hadburstitsbanks. Then, everything a coldstreamrunthroughme. The Bonnent "It wasthenightof11thJuly1892. SAVED FROMTHEFLOOD! BIONNAY CHAPEL. PICK TOP

century paintings.century hide avastpainteddécorandcollectionofnine18 church.be aminiature Behindmyfaçadeandroof bythe Genamy brothers,donation I was designedto in thevillage, andreworkedin1723thankstoa Founded in1693byNicolasMermod, apriestborn CHAPEL OFTHECHATTRIX Baroque art. CHAPEL OFTHECHATTRIX THE CHAPELOFALLCHAPELS 6D

see them. of theirrurallives, bycomingtoseeme, you'llalso even thoughmystylemaybefarfromthesimplicity their lives, theirtrials, andhopes. tribulations And dwellers comeheretoexpresstheir faith, talk about ofmountain seengenerations worked! Ihave followers. wellithas And youcanonlyseehow theological themestobetterexaltthefaithof exuberance—made itpossibleformetomagnify the profusionofdecorations, effects and dramatic arepurebaroquestyle—with elementsthat many the Historical Monument classification in1976. So earned me remarkable works of art that So many NICOLAS DEVÉROCE 1545 CHEMINDESCHATTRIX,SAINT- HAMEAU DESCHATTRIX, CHAPELLE DESCHATTRIX they came from since in 1723 they made a donation to the Chapel oftheChattrix. to theChapel they camefromsincein1723madeadonation Combinedwiththe money from a foundation for two poor village children, fortwopoorvillage money fromafoundation theGenamy'smoneymadeitpossiblefor winters as to avoid the threatening warsorepidemics—mostoftentoGerman-speaking countries. thethreatening winters astoavoid was thecaseforGenamybrotherswhomadetheirfortunein Austria. They neverforgotwhere Emigration wassometimesseasonal,Emigration mainlyformerchants, butforsomeitwaspermanent. This

In the17

th and18 GPS LAT. 45.86256558660° LONG. 6,71686409712° th centuries, thelong muchtoescape localsdecidedtoemigrate—as many

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M priest to house and educate themuntiltheyturned15.priest tohouseandeducate PICK TOP

ACCESS OUT OFSIGHT,BUTINTHEMIND THE GENAMYFAMILY:

SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 15 THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN Major painting in the Chapel of the Chattrix CHAPEL OF THE CHATTRIX THE CHAPEL OF ALL BAROQUE CHAPELS "At first look, through the abundance of figures, ethereal fabric, and bright colours, you cannot doubt where I get my style. You guessed right: I am baroque. Now, if you take the time to look closely, you'll see that I play a double game with my celestial and terrestrial spheres. In the upper sphere, I show the Coronation of the Virgin by God, represented as an old bearded man, and by Jesus, holding the cross of his crucifixion. The Virgin Mary, placed on a globe, crushes the Serpent of Heresy. Also in the scene Saint John the Baptist wearing a hide, and Saint Joseph brandishing a lily. The lower sphere shows Saint Catherine of Alexandria surrounded by various saints—Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Leonard, and Saint Donat—and a man, whose name I seem to have forgotten, in armour in the foreground. Do you think you have seen everything? Take a closer look at my author's signature. De Bentum, that's not a local name. So you might wonder what brought me here. To understand, you have to go back—three centuries to be exact—when Savoyard merchants had close ties with German- speaking countries, and when artists and works of art circulated quite easily. "

Renovated in 2016, this painting was hidden in the basement of the Saint-

16 Nicolas Museum until the first stages of the chapel's renovation work was finished in 2017-2018. SAINT-GERVAIS REGION the faithful providing their savings tofinancethe the faithfulprovidingtheirsavings the "dozen", traditionconsistingof awell-known byagroupofpeoplelivinginthehamlet:centuries later payments formymaintenance, two Iwasrenovated my constructionandfurnitureprovided whofinanced two notariesintheneighbouringvillage Built in1685thankstoJeanandBalthasardBerthier, A DOZENTRADITIONS LA COMBECHAPEL: Neo-Gothic lighting. LA COMBECHAPEL 5C

In themountains, ithard. traditionsalsohave the connectionthereisbetweenhumansandGod. Gothic interiordécor. represent The sevenstatues tomyneo- wereintegrated religious orderthat representingthemainsaints oftheCarmelite statues It alsoholdsaplaceinhistory. As proof, theseven wasjustastenacious:that thedevotion to thesaints. in themountainlandscape, thistraditionhidanother ofachapel.construction orrenovation Solidly rooted 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS HAMEAU DELACOMBE, 534 CHEMINDESCHATTRIX, LA COMBECHAPEL These spots were reserved byparishionersfortheyearpayingduestoparish inexchangefor These spotswerereserved

"Entering theLaCombeChapel, oneachsideofthecentralaisle, youwillnoticethat GPS LAT. 45.87086059470° LONG. 6,70628459828° placing theirnameontheplate. Eachprie-dieuwasdifferentandcorresponded

there is a row of prie-dieu that have name plates ontheirbacks. nameplates have ofprie-dieuthat there isarow 1055

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ACCESS ANECDOTE a partofmychildhood.” wouldbe likeerasing and tomakeitgoaway goodness. withit, thechapel saw Ialways the entirelengthofchapel, andthank crackalong enough tohidethethreatening with thenewlayerofpaint. The layerwasn't summer. day, beautifulitlookedthat How wouldbringmeevery mygrandfather that onthechapel painters placeanewwhitecoat I was10inthe1970s, andIwitnessedthe TO HISCHILDHOOD LAURENT, ALOOKBACK to the social status oftheuser.to thesocialstatus AN ANCIENTTRADITION

TAXES:

SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 17 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 18 valley. A lifefullofupsanddowns. otherway?" canitbeany How inthe ode tolifebecauseIwasdevelopedin1962respondthedevelopmentof thevillage But I'mnotheretocastacloud overourconversation. Onthecontrary, mypresencehereisan the planesintheirmidst. givenbytheweepingmountain. Itislikeaposthumoushomage fashion: newdebrisfrom regularlyleave glaciersthat IamtalkingabouttheBossonsandMiage localsforages, intheirown somecommemorate ofSaint-Gervais and that the collectivememory just100metresfromthesummitofMontBlanc.crashed at Two marked have accidentsthat 16yearsapart,recall that two Air Indiaplanes—theMalabarPrincessandtheKanchenjunga— in 2014, youmustnotthinktheywereworthmorethantheothers. to The memorialwascreated thefootofMontBlanc? other wayat aspecialplaceinthememorialcreated And ifsomehave forthosewhocametolivehere.denominator All ofthemareparttheeternal. canitbeany How differentpeoplecamehere. isonthebordermany Saint-Gervais Butthereisacommon "Walking throughmyaislesand infrontofmytombstones, because youwillprobablythinkthat LE FAYETCEMETERY A placeofmemory. LE FAYETCEMETERY 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS LE FAYET, RUE DUCASINO, FAYET CEMETERY

GPS LAT. 45.90608670060° LONG. 6,69509697212°

574

ANECDOTE FREE ENTRY OPEN EVERYDAY another tragedy inDecember1956.another tragedy " Henry, twoyoungmountaineers, perishedin from thehelicopterwhere Vincendon and Princess andtheKanchenjunga, butalso is comprisedofpartsfromtheMalabar grief. thememorial decorates The angelthat help thevictims'familiesthroughtheir andvestiges come to life in new shapes art. tocontemporary these tragedies These For theartist, herworkisawaytoconnect of art. Herartwasusedforthememorial. worksin theBossonsGlaciertocreate de Vérité recoversdebrisfromtheplanes The Chamonix-born-and-raisedartistJosée JOSÉE DEVÉRITÉ: MEMORY ATWORK

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ACCESS 0B OBJECT carefully. alottosay. Someofthemhave event, or be there to protect. Take the time to listen on top, amessage, itmaycarry bethewitnessofan andapyramidalroofwithcross holding astatue chance. Mostoftenbuiltwithcutstones, withaniche Witnessing popularpiety, isneverthereon anoratory THE ORATORY,ANUNUSUALWITNESS A sacredregion. THE VIEUXPONTANDBERCHATORATORIES of thesky. " protects today’s reachingthe limits travellers this traintrackisthehighestinEuropeand 1914 toconnectLeFayet withtheNidd'Aigle, up toSaint-Gervais. Builtbetween1906and "Today, the went TMB usestheoldtrackthat THE MONT-BLANCTRAIN, A CELESTIALTRACK

God's blessingoncropsandfieldwork. three days before the Feast of the Ascension to obtain several years, a procession came up to this oratory is Iwasbuilttoprotectfromepidemics. Indeed, for Iwasheretoreassuretravellers,that but thetruth Gervais, along a dense forest, may lead you to think land.village ontheoldroad toSaint- Mylocation stillstandingon I amthebiggestof14oratories Built circa1880, andrebuiltbetween WWI and WWII, A VOCATIONFORCULTIVATING THE BERCHATORATORY: TMB TRAINTRACK. SAINT-GERVAIS. FOLLOWTHE PATH BETWEENLEFAYETAND ACCESSIBLE ONFOOT,THE THE BERCHATORATORY:

GPS LAT. 45.90429289050° LONG. 6,70365349229°

593

M SAINT-GERVAIS ON FOOTFROMTHECENTREOF 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS CHEMIN DUPONTDIABLE, PONT DUDIABLEORATORY

ranting, intotheair. disappeared acrossthebridge.cat and The Devilcaughtthecat came uptothebridge, andthrewabeautifulblack intenseadmiration,under thevillagers' thepriest to cross it.the soul of the first creature The next day, bridge inonenight, andaspaymenthewouldtake Devil himself, cametoofferadealbuildthe that a strangevisitorinthemiddleofnight. Itwasthe the otherside of theriverbank, the priestreceived a legend: Tired touseadetourreach ofhaving am heretoprotecttravellers. to my location Iowe plant, of Saint Joseph, and holding the statue I Standing close to the dam feeding the Fayet electricity THE DEVILEXISTS.IMETHIM. VIEUX PONTORATORY:

2C GPS LAT. 45.88889938580° LONG. 6,71160986204°

758

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SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 19 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 20 Combining Catholicismwithalpineculture. MIAGE ORATORY A PROTECTINGSPIRIT. and airremainsopure. inabundance,continues togrow water that Mother Earthcontinuestofeed, grass that nothingchanges.the saintssothat Sothat Like a pilgrim kneeling in prayer. Invoking glaciers, Domes—isme! andtheMiage Vorasset Mountain, the Tricot pass, suspended grandiose panorama—bringingtogetherthe thedoorsteptosky.at And facingthis experiences. itfeelslikeweare Sohighthat itisthemosthumblingof So majesticthat like wearewitnessingthebirthofworld. Montjoie Valley. itseems Soauthenticthat areas of the one of the most emblematic my surroundings.time to look at You are in Before learningaboutmyhistory, takethe MIAGE ORATORY. ON FOOTFROMTHECHAMPELHAMLET MIAGE ORATORY-CHALETSDE

GPS LAT. 45.83986465760° LONG. 6,76020542776°

1500 metres! now, thesituation I dominate of anelevation at thought whenhedecidedtomovemein1975. Fontaine thenotary probablywhat And that's From here, for my job. I amperfectly situated the alpine pastures and, of course, their animals. wasgiventomeprotect:Because thisiswhat

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M ACCESS 90MINUTES/450-METRE ELEVATIONGAIN priest uptothepastures. The priestthenblesses continues tothrive: At thebeginningofsummer, the Middle the Ages tocultivate Alps. And ifthe tools and techniques have changed,tools andtechniqueshave oneritual mountain dwellerscamethroughbeginningin the herds and the chalets that protectthem.the herdsandchaletsthat " the herdsarebroughtbyfarmersand 9H PICK TOP MIAGE. APLACEBLESSEDBYTHEGODS "In thisold Alpine village, of generations

the transhumance to the alpine pastures at thethe transhumancetoalpinepasturesat mark abenediction. recalls A benedictionthat place to start or end a procession. I amhere to and mayalsobethemarkofabenedictionor points, orsymboliclocations, markstrategic missions alsovary: passage theymaymaterialise are placedonsummits, othersinthevalley. Their are madeofwood, othersinironorstone. Some crosses linetheroadsbutarenotsame. Some Christianity seepedintothefabricofrurallife, these Present allovertheland, far symbolsofhow MISSION THATWILLCONTINUE CROSS ONTHEPLATEAUDELACROIXA Faith rootedinthelandscape. PLATEAU DELACROIX 7D benediction oftheland, homes, andherds. priest'sbeginning ofsummerandthevillage 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS SAINT-NICOLAS DEVÉROCE, LA COMBECHAPEL OBJECT A TOWNWITHTWOCROSSES public gardens." and MegèveRoads, andtheother above the town, theintersectionofContamines at theentranceto at located and oneisnow forurbandevelopments,to accommodate bring themtothechurch. They weremoved parishioners fromfar-reaching hamletsto accustomed towelcomingthecasketsof Dard Stream. This iswhere thepriestwas fromthe garden andtheotherdownstream of thetown, oneclose tothecurrentpublic "There weretwocrossesmarkingbothends SAINT-GERVAIS.

GPS LAT. 45.85280775230° LONG. 6,71528985745°

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SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 21 SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 22 Sacred artinthe20 NOTRE DAMEDESALPES 74170 SAINT-GERVAIS LE FAYET, FAYET CHURCH films, theendofblockbuster long creditlistsat And ifthelistofthesenamesrecalls and JeanConstantDemaison. Monnier, and the sculptures to François Baud Cingria andPaul Bony, themuralstoPaul to the stainedglasswindows Alexandre We thearchitecturetoMauriceNovarina, owe REVISITED FAYET CHURCHORSACREDART together LesPlagnes, LeFayet, anda anewparishgrouping decided tocreate for since1929, whentheBishopof Annecy ofLeFayetpopulation hadbeenwaiting sacred artpopular. the An eventthat in1938andmade were inaugurated

it is because my walls and decorations it isbecausemywallsanddecorations

GPS LAT. 45.90606483380° LONG. 6,70573528520°

th century. 604 0C

OBJECT make sacredartapartofthepublic'slife. Saints popularintheregion. isthereto Everything of the the Rock,Virgin at surrounded by several local thebigfrescopainting stained glasswindows—from throughover100 areshown religious scenesthat boat, elementsfromlocalarchitecture, integrating of a flipped over A vaulted ceiling in the shape It lookslikeachalet, withuniqueinteriordesign: section ofDomancy. Buttheresultsarethere! FREE ENTRY 9 AM-4PM OPEN EVERYDAY set withcementandepoxyresin. de-verre technique, a mosaic of glass slabs Pentecost—his personaltouch wasthedalle- Marriage, Annunciation, Mary—the the Virgin common themes, likescenesinthelifeof successfulexample.are avery Covering intheLeFayetstained glasswindows Church offreshair. abreath creations His122 looked forsolutions to give religious artistic SHEDDING NEWLIGHT from thebeginningof20 were worried about the decline ofsacred art Alexandre Cingriaisoneofthefewwho ALEXANDRE CINGRIA:

th ACCESS century. He

his projectfortheNotreDamedes Alpes duFayet didn't makeradicalchangesandwasseamlessly MAURICE NOVARINA(1907-2002):RETHINKING the sacredartrevival. in wasappreciated What religious edifices and built a solid reputation in religious edificesandbuiltasolidreputation Originally from Thonon-les-Bains intheHaute- Savoie regionwhereheworkedprofusely,Savoie this was his modern and original architecture that was hismodernandoriginalarchitecturethat modern architect created approximately 30 approximately modern architectcreated integrated totheenvironment. integrated PICK ARCHITECTURE TOP

RALLYING CRY WWII. Switzerland duringthemosttroublesometimesof France ofJewsinto and organisedthepassage shelteredrefugeesinoccupied forhaving Nations" titleof"Righteous thehonorary awarded Among the hearts. Pastor isnoexception. Chaptal Hewas mountain dwellers above all. had big My followers orProtestant,Catholic butmostimportantly, whowereeither andrecentSavoyards native sent by and a call to reconciliation was a rallying cry it—thisdaybaroque culturedesignedtoeradicate region—aftertwocenturiesofin theSavoie 19 August 1913. Markingthereturnofprotestantism them open—justlikedozensofprotestantsdidon if mydoorsareclosed today, topush youjusthave be completewithoutavisit to La Vignette. And even would not heritage Learning aboutSaint-Gervais' THE LAVIGNETTEPROTESTANTCHURCH Protestants inSaint-Gervais. LA VIGNETTEPROTESTANTCHURCH

74170 SAINT-GERVAIS 513 RUEDELAVIGNETTE, CHURCH LA VIGNETTEPROTESTANT ANECDOTE

daughter's wedding. " church oneofthebestdaysmylife: my rare, anditwasclosed in2012. the I owe time, itsactivitybecamemoreand fromGeneva.religious organisations With by theroutetoMontBlancsummit—and ancestors—tourists and Alpinists attracted This churchwasbuiltthankstotheir made upforthemostpartof Anglo-Saxons. of alargeReformedChurchcommunity, during the summer season. We were part active this placeofworshipwhichwasvery "When IcametoSaint-Gervais, Idiscovered JEAN-LOUIS REMEMBERS:

GPS LAT. 45.89519709670° LONG. 6,71413066543°

1055

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SAINT-GERVAIS REGION 23 VALGRISENCHE, ARVIER REVERS Revers nature is eternal Chapel Revers Cross OE Nestled in a valley parallel to the S Aoste Valley at 1664 metres in elevation, Valgrisenche is a small Ski area Church Car Park Snowpark Prariond village spreading over 140 km² and Chapel Fontine maturation Ceré Chapel City Hall warehouse Chapel PRARIOND known for its wild and natural Ceré landscape. And that never stopped Oratory Cemetery Via ferrata La Frassy La Béthaz anyone from visiting it! Plan Tsan Museum Oratory Whatever the weather, because of its Cross of Sacred Art Les Tisserands Cooperative Planté central location—near the village of Dam Chapel Tourist O ce PLANTÉ Dar Rhêmes-Notre-Dame and Rhêmes- Oratory Chez Carral Saint-Georges, the Tignes Valley and Darbelley Verconey Gerbelle the village of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, Oratory La Thuile, and Arvier—and with the GERBELLE The Virgin Mary numerous passes over the summits, at the Chef-Lieu Cemetery this town was a crossroads. La Torna Saint Gratus Parish Cross Church and bell tower And its natural beauty demands Museum VALGRISENCHE During the summer, where outdoor of Sacred Art respect. MONDANGES sports are king, the highest peaks in Today, the town is still visited. Bonne Chapel Mondanges the Valley—the Rutor (3486 m), the BONNE Chapel During winter, with family or friends, Alpettaz Grande Rousse (3607 m), and the Cross to experience everything that the on the Four Dents Grande Sassière (3751 m)—offer mountain has to offer whether its on some of the greatest rock walls, a a pair of skis or in a helicopter. via ferrata with a 1000 m elevation Arp Vieille gain and several trekking paths. Menthieux Plaré de l’ar All year, you can discover more Oratory Rocher about the traditions that have been Chapel Catin so well-preserved here, bringing the Plontaz La Carrà past seamlessly into the present. Chapel One of the most characteristic and 24

symbolic traditions of the village is COL DU MONT their weaving of sheep wool. ET LAC DE ST-GRAT But they also have religious Saint Gratus Chapel traditions, with several chapels, the Col du Mont Cross old bell tower, and the beautiful Grand’Alpe Châtelet church. Of course the military paths Chapel

also carry history along their lines. Châtelet USELLIÈRES Surier Cross of the sword Arolla Surier Chapel Usellières Chapel Mont Forchat VALGRISENCHE REGION ARVIER

REVERS Revers Chapel Revers Cross OE S

Ski area Church Car Park Snowpark Prariond Chapel Fontine maturation Ceré Chapel City Hall warehouse Chapel PRARIOND Ceré Oratory Cemetery Via ferrata La Frassy La Béthaz Museum Plan Tsan Cross of Sacred Art Les Tisserands Cooperative Oratory

Planté Dam Chapel Tourist O ce PLANTÉ Dar Oratory Chez Carral

Darbelley Verconey Gerbelle Oratory GERBELLE The Virgin Mary at the Chef-Lieu Cemetery La Torna Saint Gratus Parish Cross Church and bell tower Museum VALGRISENCHE of Sacred Art MONDANGES

Bonne Chapel Mondanges Alpettaz BONNE Chapel Cross on the Four Dents

Arp Vieille Menthieux

Plaré de l’ar Oratory

Rocher Chapel Catin

Plontaz La Carrà Chapel

COL DU MONT 25 ET LAC DE ST-GRAT

Saint Gratus Chapel

Col du Mont Cross

Grand’Alpe Châtelet Chapel

Châtelet VALGRISENCHE USELLIÈRES Surier Cross of the sword Arolla Surier Chapel Usellières Chapel Mont Forchat VALGRISENCHE REGION VALGRISENCHE REGION 26 Strength, consistency, andgenerosity. BELL TOWER The songdoesn'tsay! iskingofconsistency..."My belfry It callsonourdutyoftheutmostsanctity; in summer orcold,It isnotafraidofheat inwinterand iskingofstrengthandgenerosity "...My belfry for over50yearsfrom1894to1949: Father EdouardBérard, priestin Valgrisenche in 1967. As towhowhisperedtheseverses bell wasaddedin1928andtwootherbells in Valsesia.tenor foundry The de Valduggia chime. Five werebuiltin1905bytheMazzola Eight. thenumberofbellson That's MORE THANACHIME, AN ODETOFAITH ANECDOTE

LOC. CHEF-LIEU VALGRISENCHE BELLTOWER

GPS LAT. 45.630275° LONG. 7,063945° OBJECT 4E September 1392. ofthe creation Valgrisenche parishon5 VII bythe Valgrisians. Hehadrequestedthe tiara, tothe inahomage Antipope Clement of the Papal torecallthe shape was created According totradition, specialspire thisvery thebelltower.inclinations isplacedatop that divided inseveralsectionswithdifferent pyramid, likeanoctagonal shaped spire that's it,look at youjustcan'tlookaway. It'sthe It wasn'tdesignedforthis, timeyou butevery A SPIRELIKEPAPALTIARA

1664

M ACCESS like the craggy rocksofthe like thecraggy Aouille Mountainthat historical monument, resistedeverything: Ihave the oldchurch, builtcirca1392. Classifiedasa villagers Isharemydailylifewith.villagers We aresolid stands behindme. And whenyoucometosee resolute, builtme, likethefaithofthosethat I The same community that participated inmy participated The samecommunitythat am deeplyconnectedtomyterritory, likethe foundations, of Iamtheonlyrepresentative devastation ofavalanches.devastation and Unwavering from torrentialraintohighwindsandthe "Just asyouseeme, solidonmyrock renovation fortheItinerasproject.renovation " me, youseetheentirecommunity. SYMBOL OFCOMMUNITY THE BELLTOWER: PICK TOP

Sacred crossesandspiritualmarkers. IRON ANDWOOD 0F

LOC. REVERS REVERS CHAPEL land, withouttakingintoaccountFather butthat's Angelo Pellissier's—our priestfrom1973to2013 ANECDOTE ofRhêmes-Notre-Dame.and thevillage You maythinkwearenotstrongenoughtodefendthisvast Valgrisenche ofReverssince4September1993. andthevillage thePetite Ontheopposite sideat Traversière, thefrontierwith anironcrossplantedjustafewdaysbeforemeindicates Val d'Isère cross—created bythe cross—created Valdotain sculptorFranco hasmarkedthenorthernlimitof Crestani—that off sacred spaces is a way to illustrate where people can cultivate theirspirituality. wherepeoplecan cultivate off sacredspacesisawaytoillustrate With thehelp sleep in Arvier."sleep Godmakes,day that at Ieat Valgrisenche and in Revers:is given by a home-owner "Every runsintoahouse? when thepath The answer Becca di Tos. fine,That's happens but what backupto Revers andthenfromthevillage from thePointe Dora Vidi ontheRutorupto Valgrisenche in1895andwent wereredrawn of The limit between the towns and Arvier STOP MEIFYOUCAN If thefaithofpeoplelivinghereislimitless, theirlandisn't. whereIcomein.That's Marking

of theenormousrôchemoutonnéesanddeepgorgesDoireRiver, Iamthewooden GPS LAT. 45.662394° LONG. 7,077523°

1534 PICK TOP

LOC. REVERS REVERS CROSS

GPS LAT. 45.662436° LONG. 7,075837° Pompei inNaples. Shrineofthe venerated of Virgin oftheRosary d'Ivrée. famousand This isacopyofthe very byGiovanniStornone created Saint Catherine withSaintDominicand Virgin oftheRosary with aPalladian window, isthealtarpiece specialfaçade,very markedbyalargedoor territory. simple. Butit'snotthat Behindits Revers, theentrancetosacred at avillage Bovard brothers, over watches thechapel Built in1906-1907, ofthe theinitiative at THE CHAPEL,TIRELESSSENTINEL OBJECT

1528

M in Valgrisenche—benediction. MARKED BYTWOCROSSES ACCESS A SACREDLAND,

VALGRISENCHE REGION 27 VALGRISENCHE REGION 28 History intwosteps. History PARISH CHURCH Up tothemiddleof20 BUT DOZENSOFDIVINECHILDREN NOT ONE, missing any oftheDivine missing any Word. would rockthecradlewiththeirfeettoavoid when thebabieswouldbabbleorcry, they the cradles next to them, along the nave, and wooden cradles. At church, theywouldplace their newborns in would go to mass carrying ANECDOTE

th LOC. CHEF-LIEU CHURCH VALGRISENCHE PARISH century, women

4E GPS LAT. 45.630336° LONG. 7,064138° OBJECT with paintings that weinviteyou to discover.with paintingsthat chapel,the third contributed to the baptistery "Jesus' totheDisciples"; Appearance among otherremarkableworksofart, the secondcontributedtowalls, with Church" and"The Assumption ofMary"; with paintingof"TheFour Doctorsofthe The firstonthechurch'svaultedceilings, insidetheparish church. rich decorations Morgari in1953: Eachonecontributedtothe Ernesto Lanciabetween1909and1932, Carlo The paintersStornoneofIvréein1874, TIME ISAWORKOFART

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Valgrisenche, tookcareofmydecorations. Onthe mason MichelCarestiafrom Valsesia participated it is the wooden statue oftheMadonnaandChild it isthewoodenstatue inside, mypersonal you'llbeabletocontemplate Valsesian entrepreneur, rebuiltmein1875;and my constructionwasagroupeffort: themaster history and the artistic and spiritual path ofmy andtheartisticspiritualpath history austere rocks on my bell tower andmyplaster austere rocksonmybelltower church and that ofthebelltower.church andthat It'salsothat five centuries separate theconstructionof five centuriesseparate Father EdouardBérard(1894-1949), priestin in myextension1666;GiuseppeLancia, a façades with big windows makesitlooklike façades withbigwindows "From theoutside, thecontrast betweenthe history isdividedintotwoparts,history twotimes: I have asplitpersonality.I have The truthis, my my history, in1392 frommy foundation builders. IntheMuseumofSacred Art, from the 14th century that retraces that from the14thcentury SIX CENTURIESOFHISTORY. to my consecration in1417.to myconsecration PARISH CHURCH: PICK TOP

OBJECT Following thefootstepsofpatronsaint. SAINT GRATUSCHAPEL and John the Baptist's head.and JohntheBaptist's dressed inbishop'sclothing withthecross exhibitedinthe parish museum,which isnow saint, ofthepatron heldastatue Chapel in 1989,renovated Lake the Saint Gratus Made instonewithacopperroofand A STOPEVERYONEMAKES THE SAINTGRATUSLAKECHAPEL: LAKE LOC. SAINTGRATUS CHAPEL SAINT GRATUSLAKE

GPS LAT. 45.615046° LONG. 7,000233°

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where myrelicsstoppedtorest. Then, throughthepastureson theycomebackdown Alpe Vieille, Every year,Every onthemorningof5 August, recovering inaprocessiontocommemorate Iseethemleave mass: oneinapastureontheGrand LakeChapel,Alpe andtheotherinfrontofSaintGratus built Why all this? It is for me to protect them from avalanches andtoprovidefruitfulharvests.Why allthis?Itisformetoprotectthemfromavalanches Honestly, if my relicsfromthe Aoste Valley. ParishThey bringthemfromtheSaintGratus ChurchuptotheSaint Gratus Lake—named as such to recall the passage ofmyrelics. Lake—namedassuchtorecallthepassage Gratus They maketwostopstocelebrate pass in front of the Plaré de l'Ar oratory where my statue is. wheremystatue pass infrontofthePlarédel'Aroratory Psalmsandliturgicalsongsinvoke LOC. BOTZAT ORATORY PLARÉ DEL’AR it were enough to follow inmyfootstepstobesafefrom everything,it wereenoughtofollow therewouldbemore people!

GPS LAT. 45.61282° LONG. 7,046266°

2025

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ACCESS But, iftheydidn'tdoit, wouldhappen..." what Godonlyknows FOLLOWING PATRONSAINTGRATUS'FOOTSTEPS

CHEF-LIEU LOC. ROCK SAINT GRATUS ANECDOTE

of faith is highly discouraged! of faithishighlydiscouraged! dancers. Inthemountain, strayingoffthepath barn, killedallthe therockissaidtohave rock from Aouille Mountain. Landing on the onthevillage,down releasinganenormous the church. iswhentorrentialrainscame That mass andgodancinginabarnnotfarfrom day in1683, agroupofkidsdecidedtoskip them. saint's onethepatron Legendsaysthat combine thetwo. Rockisoneof SaintGratus places oflegend, andthereareplacesthat There areplacesofworshipandthere ON THEJOURNEYOFFAITH SAINT GRATUSROCK:NATURALMARKER Virgin Mary andtheSaintsalongway.Virgin Mary

8A GPS LAT. 45.630657° LONG. 7,064244°

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VALGRISENCHE REGION 29 VALGRISENCHE REGION 30 Which one will you relate tothemost?Readthemallandyouwillknow."Which onewillyourelate killed15children.that her. Among themostheart-wrenching, thosewritingaboutthewhoopingcoughepidemicin1911 Among themostlyrical, muchheloved wrotetohismotheraboutherlifeandhow Victorien Lettry who passedoneyearapart. Ittellsoftheloveunitesthembothonearthand inHeaven. 1970), theyallspeakoffaithandhope. Among theoldest, fortwospouses thereistheepitaph Written inFrench, byFathers Edouard-ClémentBérard(1894-1949)and (1949- Victorien Lettry inprosearewitness. withepitaphs The tombstonesandceramicplates takenus, neverforgotten:feet have wehave that thereisonelanguage oftheheart.The language barriers. requiredustoovercomelanguage andmerchanttraditionsthat location Butasfarour "We ofspeakingwithourhands.Valgrisians areputation have inourcross-border Itoriginates POETRY ATTHEFOOTOFBELLTOWER Posthumous homage. VALGRISENCHE CEMETERY now shown on page 39ofthisbooklet. onpage shown now wasontopofitis ofthecrossthat location in1970.by anavalanche the how That's tobefound!Itwastaken down nowhere was orderedbyEdouardBérardin1906is 23 November1876. The monument that north, blessedon chapel withamortuary to buildanew, tothe bigger cemetery further andGiuseppeLanciawasasked of thenewchurchreducedspaceeven because ofthenewextension. Construction wasreducedin1666 size ofthecemetery Initially placedoppositethechurch, the OUR DEADPOINTTOTHENORTH LOC. CHEF-LIEU VALGRISENCHE CEMETERY

GPS LAT. 45.630447° LONG. 7,064063°

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ANECDOTE 4E that death tookonhiswedding night." death that friends, orphans, warriors /fortherichman pastor, andforgottenpenniless/forparents, those gone, /forthechild, inthemassgrave tombstones, tokindness/forall awaken of faith, andfriendliness, /walknexttothe tombstones: "Prayers, souvenirs, flowers just like thistext for people without community overcomesalltypesofseparation, daily,Cultivated afeelingofbelonginginthe THOUGHTS AREWITHEVERYONE everything I could to maintain my beauty,everything witha Founded fromPlontaz, in 1669bythevillagers Idid isn'taneasytask.the parishioners'attention has tooffer. But, facedwithsuchsplendour, attracting ofthespectacleto beheretakeadvantage nature surrounding mountains, I'mlucky wemightsaythat On discoveringtheviewofRutorGlacierand LA CARRÀCHAPEL: An enchantment. LA CARRÀCHAPELPLONTAZSANCTUARY PERPETUAL BEAUTY 7E

15 MysteriesoftheRosary. museum: mysculptedmedallionsrepresentingthe their absence, apartofmeisexposedintheparish win theirloyalty. Also colourful, butconspicuousin interior, beenableto Idon'tthinkcouldeverhave my herein1912andilluminating century—brought bya work created Valsesian artist in the18th Saint Pantaleon. Without myaltaroftheRosary—a Stornone representingtheMadonnaandChildwith byGiovanni My altarpieceisacolourfulcreation 1993. in1773,series ofaestheticrenovations 1905, and PLONTAZ LOC. LACARRÀ LA CARRÀCHAPEL Well, whenyouseethesplendidpasturesnearPlontaz, here. youwillthinktheexpressionoriginated Legend says that Legend saysthat Valgrisenche fromSainteFoy wasdiscoveredbyvillagers in the Tignes Valley who were following Blond,were following topastures intheirherd. toescape theprettiestcow try Blondwouldalways

DE GPS LAT. 45.605821° LONG. 7,062553° Do you know the expression "The grass is always greenerontheotherside"? theexpression"Thegrassisalways Do youknow

on theothersideofmountain, intheluxuriousprairiesofourvalley. 2044

ACCESS and thesaintsindailylivesof Valgrisians. a reflection oftheomnipresence the Virgin bythevillagers.devotion andpilgrimage Itis requests forgraceplacedinthisplaceof thesmall the numerousexvotoillustrating ofGraces."Onthewallsyoucansee Lady toprayandthankOur me tothechapel "When Iwasyoung, mymotherbrought FATHER ADOLFOBOISREMEMBERS: ANECDOTE PICK TOP

VALGRISENCHE REGION 31 VALGRISENCHE REGION 32

OBJECT Trust themountaineers. CHAPEL INPLANTÉ alone meltedthesnow. it that the EternalFatherissoflamboyant that altar, of withthetwistedcolumnsandstatue Another hypothesis: the beautiful baroque and two others whose names are unknown. Evangelist, Stephen, Charles Borromeo, and Child, withSaints Anthony, Johnthe the altarpiecerepresentingMadonna contributed. You willfindtheminplaceon dwellers and probablygreatly Alpinists—have saint of mountain and Saint Bernard—patron catastrophe— invoked toprotectfromnatural dual protectionofSaint Agatha—regularly built oneachsideofitweretakenaway. The whilethehomes was sparedfromavalanches Twice, in1843and1918, inPlanté thechapel A CHAPELOFMIRACLES LOC. PLANTÉ PLANTÉ CHAPEL

GPS 3E LAT. 45.640317° LONG. 7,069458°

1648

M ACCESS in 1867, CanonBosontookcareofmyrenovation Sacred Hearts and the flower medallionwiththe Sacred Heartsandtheflower life to feed her little ones.' Like a homage tothe life tofeedherlittleones.'Likeahomage of a notary publictoprovideenoughrevenue— of anotary sacrifices—for myupkeep. Two centuries later, 'The loving Celestial Pelican that gives her own 'The lovingCelestialPelican givesherown that from the area and nearby villages ofLaFrassy,from theareaandnearbyvillages beam, ofagroupinhabitants theinitiative at Cheserolles, Darbelley, andChezCarral. These faithful and their big hearts to whom I owe my faithful andtheirbigheartstowhomIowe in 1684, cametogetherasecondtimeinfront and decoration, andifIrememberwell, itwas same people, onceconstructionwasfinished according to their resources and after many according totheirresourcesandaftermany then that myvaultedceilingwelcomedthe then that "I wasbornin1683, onmyroof asstated being heretoday." PICK TOP

Divine mission. CHAPEL INCERÉ

LOC. CERÉ CERÉ CHAPEL work in2017. Itineras project, underwent renovation the chapel were opened.was rebuiltandnewwindows For the restored thechapel. In1896-1897thebelltower and Prariondcametogetheronavolunteerbasis 1866, thepeoplefromCeré, LaBethaz, LaFrassy, itnew'slook. gave oftwowindows creation Then in In 1729, constructionofthevaultedceilingand the parishmuseum. isexhibitedat that in areliquary relics ofsaintsandthe broughtfromRome Virgin Mary 1681 and1683. Itwasblessedon26July1683with of François thefounder—addedchoirbetween originally, Moret—priestandnephew EmmanuelGrat back construction to 12 years later. Of modest size 300 people—including thepriest—whichpushed ofover causedthedeaths then anepidemicofplague Moret family'sex-votoin1627, twoyearsofwarand afterthe forgottotellyouisthat thechapel What A HIDDENTREASURE BETWEEN VILLAGEHOMES Valgrisenche, heheldtohispromise. SohereIam, tellingyourtheoriginalcircumstancesofmybirth homeless. Moretdidwhenherhousewasconsumedinflames: Catherine what That's "Mychildren! strength to survive thisfire,strength tosurvive inhonourofHim."Herson, youwillbuildachapel François, responded: only had God and the saints to help them fight the many fires that occurred, firesthat only hadGodandthesaintstohelpthemfightmany themlostand leaving causing any damage.causing any François tothechurchin becameapriestandwhenappointed Moretlater

To understandwhereIcomefrom, togobackfourcenturies, youhave whenmenandwomen Only GodandSaintBarbaracanputthisfireout. ifHegivesyouthe MakeGodapromisethat "Yes mother, withGod'shelp, andthefirewithdrew without wewill."Hepouredalittlewater GPS LAT. 45.647637° LONG. 7,069429°

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THE CHAPELINCERÉ.SACREDFIRE in theyearofgrace, 1639. 2E

VALGRISENCHE REGION 33 VALGRISENCHE REGION 3434 Charles-Emmanuel I. and namedPrincipalPainter bySavoy’s Duke FROM THEPIEDMONTTOCERÉ A SCULPTORANDPAINTER Major paintinginthechapel. SAINT ANNE AND CHILDWITH THE MADONNA Aoste Valley inthe second half of the17 the Piedmontregion, activeinthe whowasvery Vincenzo Costantino—apainterfromBiellaisin of resemblesthat on myaltarpieceinastylethat Catherine, and Agatha. They areallrepresented Francis of Assisi, François Xavier, Martin, Bernard, several saints. You canseeSaintsBarbara, Joachim, Madonna andChildwithSaint Anne, surroundedby bell andmyimpressivepaintingrepresentingthe isbuilt,land wheremychapel financedasmall The samePhilibertGrillonwho, the afterdonating Philibert Grillonprovidedthefinancestobuildme. like thoseinPerloz, Lillianes, andChamporcher. worked forseveral Valdotain thetime, churchesat de sculptor JeanDomeyneCavagnet Viverone who bythePiedmont I amtheimpressivealtarcreated amI? miss me...What and afracturedpediment. Iamsobig, youcannot angels wood. withcaryatid Myframeisdecorated in1645,Created Iammadeofpaintedandgolden

th century century

OBJECT The spiritofchapels. CHÂTELET CHAPEL Virgin Mary forherprotection—andwas Virgin Mary andtothankthe theplague century—after Saint Jucundus. Itwasrestoredinthe17 called the Assumption ofthe Virgin andthe my oldestancestorfrom1417—and altarpiece belongedtotheFornet Chapel— ancestors. The elements on my altar and Just likeallnewborns, Iinheritedfrommy A HERITAGETOREMEMBER

LOC. LECHÂTELET CHÂTELET CHAPEL made even bigger in the 18 keep quiet. me itsbell. It'ssomuchlikeher, shejustcan't in 1627 and extended in 1884—gave villager of the will of one de Surier Chapel—born come fromtheparishchurch. The StLeonard in 1638andrebuilt1870. Mypaintings in 1891—andtheUsellièresChapel, founded come fromtheBeauregardChapel—erected ofSaintsOursandLéger wooden statues one that meant submerging four chapels and several hamlets under the waters tobuildanew dam. andseveralhamletsunderthewaters meantsubmergingfourchapels onethat Like many chapels,Like many leftamark. myconstructionhereislinkedtoaneventthat For me, it'snota Their weight on my shoulders reminds me every dayoftheresponsibilitiesincumbentuponme.Their weightonmyshouldersremindsmeevery

In memory of those submerged chapels I was built with four bells on my bell tower in1952. Iwasbuiltwithfourbellsonmybelltower ofthosesubmergedchapels In memory GPS LAT. 45.588945° LONG. 7,031857° For atime, wouldseemeasresponsible. losteverything Ithoughtthefamilies that But itwasjusttheopposite. in1959 Iwaswelcomedwithrenewedfervour th

century. My 1786 PICK TOP

ACCESS and have since remained a place of great devotion. sinceremainedaplaceofgreat and have natural catastrophe, humandecision: natural butavery 8B CHÂTELET CHAPEL.SIGNSOFTHETIMES

VALGRISENCHE REGION 35 VALGRISENCHE REGION 36 Patron saints. CHAPEL INPRARIOND Bishop Joseph-AugusteDuc’s wardrobe. in1895-96withformer restoration chapel's backtothe dates larch-wood doorthat Saint Joseph. You can alsoseethe beautiful to the parishchurchwhereitwasdedicated the sculptedandpaintedwoodenaltarfrom painting describedhere, youcanalsoadmire 28 July1640. Inside, inadditiontothefamous wasfoundedon The PrariondChapel SPECIFIC MARKS LOC. PRARIOND PRARIOND CHAPEL

GPS LAT. 45.650422° LONG. 7,072136°

Moullinet in the front row ofdonor-founders.Moullinet inthefrontrow the rest". sets Germain An inscription that this chalice, supplied thePrariondChapel "Germain Moullinetsuppliedfourcoinsfor hasalobedfootwithanengraving that silver chalice dating backtothe17 silver chalicedating In theparishmuseum, youwillfindabeautiful

ANECDOTE 1560

M ACCESS 2F th century century the time of my founding. We can see a large Saint Gabriel, andPeter the Apostle. them Ididn'tknow They donated tothechurchbutdoyouthinkthey They donated Germanus surroundedbythemuchsmallerSaint Saint Germanus, Bishopof Auxerre andprotector John theEvangelist, the Archangels Michaeland the villages ofPrariond,the villages LaBethaz, and Preylian. Jean defeuGermainLouyoz—allinhabitantsof Moullinet, GermaindeMartinLouyoz, Michelde They weremyfounders!GermaindefeuPierre feu Grat Chantellex,feu Grat PierreBethaz, Gabriel and revelation infrontofapainting,revelation backto dating of children. While wonderingaboutwhyIhave "It is tradition. Every chapel here has a patron "It istradition. herehasapatron chapel Every saint: the orothersaints.Virgin Mary Mineis personally, well. theirnamesvery butIknow this patron saint,this patron youmaycalla Ihadwhat also dabbledinself-righteousness?" TO UNDERSTANDTHEFOUNDERS, THE PRARIONDCHAPEL. TALK TOTHESAINTS PICK TOP

money. how,That's in1890, itwasentirelyrebuilt. to 1893—startedfund-raisingfindthenecessary Joseph Aymonod—Valgrisenche priestfrom1877 Army—was not enough to finance the work. Louis- Sulpice Joseph Frassy—a veteran of theNapoleon aftertwocenturies.restoration by The donation Joseph, Hilary, and Barbara—was in dire need of Founded in 1648, toSaints the chapel—dedicated THE FAITHFULAREACTIVE Neo-Gothic atwork. CHAPEL INMONDANGES LOC. MONDANGES MONDANGES CHAPEL "Look at me. baroquestyle,"Look at against anything Ireallydon'thave butneo-Gothicsarereallysomething else. Personally, Iwouldn'tchangemy verticalandpurelinesforanything. Ilovemy archedwindows and my beauty illuminated fromtheinside.and mybeautyilluminated andfurniture, Mydecoration Iwantedtobeinthe same spirit. whyIaskedGiovanniComoletti,That's afamous Valsesian sculptor, expertinsacredstatues, where humans will leave baroque aside and move to a style that ismuchmorepure. baroqueasideandmovetoastylethat where humanswillleave day,And that

and well-known forhisneo-Gothicfurnitureandaccessories.and well-known There's notdoubt: A daywillcome “Pietà” sculptedoutofwood. 1982. pretty The museumstill holds avery stolenin wasunfortunately from 1649that Eternal Father andthedoveofHolySpirit an altarpiecewiththeHolyFamily withthe Art. someoldfurniture: preserved The chapel intheparish'sMuseumofSacred located Giovanni Comoletti in 1891, they are now Barbara, and Francis of Assisi. by Created Patron SaintsJoseph, ofthechapel's statues held ends withtheneo-Gothicaltarthat "Under clear, skies, starry nave theluminary STARSTOUCHING THE OBJECT

GPS LAT. 45.626741° LONG. 7,062265°

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VALGRISENCHE REGION 37 VALGRISENCHE REGION 38 An exampleofsacredAlpineart. CHAPEL INBONNE followed closely.followed in that Valgrisenche, religiousedificesare in1997-99. again was renovated You cansee The roofwasredonein1978, andthechapel vaulted ceilingsreplacedthewoodceiling. wasenlarged.tower Four yearslater, masonry in 1899.in 1875 and again In 1906 the bell chapel.the Bonnevillage Itwasrenovated On 7June1688, seveninhabitantsfounded A CHAPELWITHMANYFOLLOWERS LOC. BONNE BONNE CHAPEL

5E GPS LAT. 45.621459° LONG. 7,057767°

with Valgrisians. outofhisneck,flowing popular wasn'tvery withblood SaintDenisdecapitated showing theoriginal painting,head! Legendhasitthat closely! Did younotice?SaintDenishasa an angelholdingthemartyr'spalm. Look saintofthechapel—with bishop andpatron Child ontopand, inthecentre, SaintDenis— theMadonnaand showing the BonneChapel the beautifulbaroquealtarandaltarpiecein PIECES: AMONG SOMEOFTHEMOSTREMARKABLE ANECDOTE 1812

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AN EXAMPLEOFSACREDALPINEART BONNE CHAPEL. incredibly authentic. noramImiraculous.a survivor Iamjust by peopleandprotectedsaints. Iamnot life andtouchingtheDivine, Iamsupported Both ruralandintercultural, rootedindaily Alpine sacredart. ofthesingularityandexpanse representative Denis—Patron SaintofFrance—I amtheonly toSaint group ofinhabitantsanddedicated panorama,an extraordinary foundedbya tones, nestledontheslopeoverlooking Small andmodest, madeofstonewithbaroque

Devotion toMary. THE VIRGINMARYINCHEF-LIEU/ OBJECTS THE VIRGINMARYONRUTOR for the52 was climbing theRutormountain Pellissier—the Priestof Valgrisenche—who Alpinists, churchfollowers, andFather Angelo July 2003. Two long Alpine processionswith on12 sent backuptoitsoriginallocation beforeitwas to thevalleyandrenovated 2002, thesculpturewasbroughtbackdown their lives. bylighteningin Severelydamaged by werewillingtorisk Alpine soldiersthat the mountainin1958, transportedbysledge m tallandweighs170kg. Itwasplacedatop Vicenza, the ontheRutoris1.40 Virgin Mary bythesculptorEgistoCaldanadi Created CLOSER TOHEAVEN VIRGIN MARYONTHERUTOR. ofMariandevotioninthevalley.propagation the square, and sheiswitnesstothefervour 29—for theMarianyear1955. Dominating Rock—foundonpage onSaintGratus seated is lieu wasplacedonahighcolumnthat the golden inthechef- located Virgin Mary A copyoftheMadonninaduDuomoinMilan, AS BRILLIANTGOLD THE VIRGINMARYINCHEF-LIEU LOC. CHEF-LIEU AT THECHEF-LIEU THE VIRGINMARY nd time.

GPS LAT. 45.630657° LONG. 7,064244°

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ACCESS "At the entrance to the chef-lieu or atop Rutor "At theentrancetochef-lieuoratop Vaudet, yourstepstakeyou, Iameverywhere engraved onaplate,engraved wearingwhiteorcoated in gold, Iamthe Virgin Mary, like immaculate Just likethepeoplefromFornet in1758who in Châtelet, at the Dar Oratory andtheparish in Châtelet, theDarOratory at when snow is threatening orover-abundant. isthreatening when snow museum, Plan ChezCarralorat onarockat Mountain, tothechapel fromReversChapel to protectyouevenmore. Sculptedinwood founded a mass celebration at Notre-Dame at founded amasscelebration difference is that youaskmeforprotection difference isthat or carved ofstone,or carved paintedonacanvasor the snow that youlovesomuch. that the snow The only DEVOTION TOTHEVIRGINMARY RUTOR PEAK THE RUTOR MARY AT THE VIRGIN

GPS LAT. 45.630787° LONG. 7,014971°

PICK TOP des Neiges.

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avalanche in1970.avalanche byan monumentdestroyed the cemetery from wasbroughtbyFatherthat Lettry WWII. Above theoratory, thereisacross namely herpartisansonandbrother—during forprotectingherfamily— to thankMary Oratory, builtasavotiveofferingin1950 astheMariette isknown The chapel Viérin ofthe statue Virgin Mary. outofrockandholdsa iscarved that chapel Near theGrand-Alpepasturesstandsa PROTECTOR DURINGTHEWAR THE VIRGINMARY, LOC. GRANDALPE ORATORY GRAND’ALPE ANECDOTE

GPS LAT. 45.591031° LONG. 7,02292° 4D

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VALGRISENCHE REGION 39 VALGRISENCHE REGION 40 bringing food to the army in January 1945.bringing foodtothearmyinJanuary whiletheywere Cognewhowere buriedinanavalanche working forthemetal-workingcompany For severalcenturies, events, the pass washometoseveraltragic of33people likethe death used bymerchants, artists, travelling immigrants, andsmugglers. famouspasses:one ofthemostimportantandtragically theColduMont. This passwasfrequently If yougototheothersideof Valgrisenche, alarge, basemarks squarecrossplacedonanelevated THE COLDUMONTCROSSATACROSSROADS oftheCross." of theStations remembrance, arereminiscent youalsofindusalongdifficultanddangerousmountaintrails that sacredartefactsonyourland.the importanceofpreserving inplacesof Mostoftensituated to echoalltheothercrossesinvalley. far, theirmessage Icarry andenlightenyou on ofSaintJohnPaulPlanted hereinmemory IIon19July1989, ofmylocation Itakeadvantage previsions, andpredictions. climb thefourDent "I am4.5metrestall, andIfacethe Valgrisenche panorama, peoplefromalloverto attracting THE CROSSONFOURDENTSECHOINGYOURMEMORIES Multiple missions. MOUNTAIN CROSSES 5F peaks. I'veonlybeenheresince2000, projections, withmany asymbolicdate FOUR DENTSPEAK DENTS CROSS ONTHEFOUR

GPS LAT. 45.616217° LONG. 7,076068°

COL DUMONT CROSS COL DUMONT

8A GPS LAT. 45.601433° LONG. 6,981788°

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LOC. MONDANGES CROSS LA TORNAMISSION ANECDOTE miraculously improved." sign oftheCrossinairandweather were walking, priestmadethe theCapuchin wasbadanditsnowing.weather As we free fromtheirfarmingwork. day,That the placed theminfall, whenpeoplewere installed theFornet missioncross. We always installed: they "ItwasinNovember1919that Chapel. Ginoremembersthedayitwas from The Passion, erectedclose totheFornet for thewoodenmissioncross, withobjects thetime.photos takenat This isthecase in thelocals'memoriesaswellon disappeared,Others have buttheyremain torrent tofendofflandslides. people fromGerbelle, nearthe Temeley to torrentsliketheonebuiltin1907by along theroadlikeinBonne, orevenclose CeréorLa rocks likeat Torna deMondanges, And youwillseemoreofthem, on isolated crosseswereplacedin Many Valgrisenche. TO THEMISSIONCROSS FROM THEPROTECTIVECROSS GPS LAT. 45.628401° LONG. 7,062763°

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ACCESS LA FRASSY LOC. (LA FRASSY) ORATORY PLAN TSAN A protectivefeel. ORATORIES

2F build an oratory if he survived thewar. ifhesurvived build anoratory Evance-Joseph Béthaz, whopromisedto backto1922. dates Itwasbuiltby Oratory ending,Witnessing ahappy thePlan Tsan ontheothersideofbridge.location the family'sgarden, itscurrent justbelow during WWI, rightoutside itwasfirstlocated sons, François andCharles, killedin combat ofhistwo by PierreGerbelleinmemory wasalsomoved.the GerbelleOratory Built oratory,Even thoughitisn'tanavalanche ofthefaithful Survival WAR ORATORIES OBJECT

OBJECT GPS LAT. 45.643909° LONG. 7,071272°

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GERBELLE LOC. ORATORY GERBELLE

3E GPS LAT. 45.634174° LONG. 7,065280°

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3E GPS LAT. 45.638267° LONG. 7,065576°

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2E that proves the rule is the Dar Oratory located located provestheruleisDarOratory that always have somethingtoshare. have always Justlikethe GPS LAT. 45.645906° LONG. 7,068220° Revers Oratory, erectedin1845. This onewill Bethaz will tell you the sad story ofFrançoiseBethaz willtellyouthesadstory behind alargerock, whichhasnevermoved. talk aboutthelittlegirl, afterspending saved are allright. and We oratories areavalanche Frassy, asshe byanavalanche away swept in anavalanche. is The MondangesOratory moves, too!Butwhereverwemeet, wewill but continuestoprotectyou. The exception we areusedtobeingmoved. Becauseland Valgrisenche, LouisBethaz, whowaskilled are sometimesalloverthelandscape, and just afewmetersfromitsoriginalposition everywhere. what? And doyouknow They a spiritual anti-avalanche that wasmoved that a spiritualanti-avalanche But the road that passedinfrontofitwas But theroadthat was walking to mass on 1 January 1941.was walkingtomasson1January hours in the snow afteranavalanche.hours inthesnow La additions, tothemayorof payshomage Certain people are sure they have seen Certain peoplearesuretheyhave us elsewhere. Othersthinktheyseeus moved to pass under a new avalanche moved topassunderanewavalanche Plan diMotte, oneofourmostrecent

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VALGRISENCHE REGION 41 PRECIOUS OBJECTS 42 category ofobjects.category " much wasclassified asaHistoricalMonumentinthe our stony, theylovedso finelychiselledsilverthat wasthat merchants fromMunich—don'tknow François andMarie-ThérèseRoux, bourgeois mass. wineat to serve ourdonors—Jean- What how,That's on3March1757, weweresenthere sumptuousobjectstotheirhomeparishes.donate fortune ontheothersideofRhineRiverwould andSaint-Nicolaswhomadea from Saint-Gervais "In the 18 SECRETS SERVEDONAPLATTER SILVER CRUETSANDTRAYS passes. " place betweenFrance andItalythroughthe Alpine took are testimoniestothenumerousexchangesthat inthechurch.examples ofthesilversmithery They fruits, garlands, and other Acanthus leaves—are oval base—andtypicallybaroquestylewithangels, ciborium madein1684andthemonstrancewith for theParisian brandplacedontheobjects. The silversmithsworking guarantee punchmarkingthat silversmith LucasGuillaume. You canseethe by the Parisianbought in 1674 was created come fromFrance. Oneofthechurch’s chalices exhibited within my walls in the Sacred Art Museum However, almostalloftheobjectsin Valgrisenche Turin orinfamoussilversmithfoundriesGermany. wasboughtfromsilversmiths from silversmithery "Inmost Aosta Valley’s churches, sacred PIONEERING THEFRENCHTOUCH SACRED VASES. A sacred collection. A sacred PRECIOUS OBJECTS th century, merchants tradition was that

CONCLUSION,

You will have understood, in reading this booklet and listening to the stories our heritage has to say, that sacred art is not dead, quite the contrary! And because there are artists— passionate mountaineers with a love of history and loyalty to their land— on both sides of the Saint-Gervais and Valgrisenche Valleys that are willing and able to reinvent it, sacred art will always be spoken about in the present. And so it is up to you, with this booklet in hand, to spread the word over the mountains and through the hills. 43 CONCLUSION SAINT AGATHA St. Agatha, also known as Agatha of Sicily, was born in Sicily to a rich and noble family. Martyred, she was subject to the harshest of tortures and her breasts were cut off. She is commonly featured in religious art with shears, tongs, or breasts on a plate. She is invoked against natural catastrophes (earthquakes, landslides, etc.) and fire. SAINT ANNE Mother of the Virgin Mary, Anne is represented with a red dress, symbolising love, and a green coat, symbolising immortality. She is the patron saint of pregnant women to ensure a happy birth. SAINT BARBARA According to legend, Saint Barbara's father—a rich pagan—shielded her from the world by locking her up in a high tower. She secretly became a Christian, refused to renounce her faith, and was imprisoned. She was tortured and her father killed her with his sword, but he was struck by lightning immediately after. Represented with a tower at her feet, she is PATRON invoked against fire, lightening, and sudden death. SAINT BERNARD SAINTS Saint Bernard is one of the major Alpine saints. Archdeacon of Aoste in the 11th century, he traditionally considered the founder of the hospices in the Grand and Petit Saint Bernard passes. He is invoked to heal the sick and against demonic possession, but also to calm storms and protect These saints are people who— herds. through merit, virtue, or miracles accomplished during their life— SAINT DENIS Patron Saint of France, he was a bishop and was are recognised after their death martyred in Paris. According to legend, when he and deserve public and universal was decapitated, he miraculously stood to his feet, veneration by the Catholic Church. took his head, and walked to Montmartre where he is buried. The first saints are martyrs that were tortured and killed because SAINT STEPHEN they refused to renounce their Erudite and wise, Stephen was accused of blasphemy against Moses and the Temple. He was stoned. Saint faith. Later on, men and women Stephen is considered to be the first martyr of the leading virtuous lives that act Church. He is always represented wearing his as models to Christians can be deacon's dalmatic tunic. He sometimes carries a palm, the symbol of martyrs, or a book. proclaimed saints. The life of saints are filled with both historic

44 fact and prosaic legend that have been rewritten and retold throughout the centuries. GLOSSARY SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES SAINT JUCUNDUS SAINT PANTALEON Saint Francis de Sales is the most important saint Jucundus was bishop of Aoste at the beginning of Pantaleon came from Nicomedia, Turkey. He was from Savoie. He is known for his gentle approach the 6th century and was Saint Gratus' successor. a doctor. Because he converted to Christianity, he to the religious divisions in his land resulting from Together, they are the patron saints of the Aoste was martyred. He is invoked against the plague and the Protestant Reformation. Born in Savoie in 1567 Diocese. against all illness in general. to a noble family, Francis renounced to his titles to dedicate his life to the Church. He became bishop of SAINT JOSEPH SAINT ROCH th Geneva, residing in Annecy. He promoted piety daily, With Baby Jesus in his arms holding a lily, symbol of Roch lived during the 14 century and was known to chastity, Saint Joseph is the Virgin Mary's husband. and his charities are still a model in today's society. have cured the plague-stricken and survived himself He often holds a staff topped with flowers. This He died in 1622 and was proclaimed saint by the from the sickness. He therefore protects against attribute refers to an Apocryphal Gospel according Church in 1665. the plague. He is generally represented wearing his to which all of Mary's suitors were presented to the pilgrim attire with a dog at his side. Sometimes, he SAINT GERMANUS Temple holding a staff. Since only Joseph's staff points to a wound on his thigh, recalling the bubonic blossomed, it was evident to all that it was God's will plague. In 418, Germanus was appointed bishop of Auxerre. that Joseph become the Virgin Mary's husband. Once he accepted the appointment, he rid himself SAINT SEBASTIAN of all his property and distributed it to the poor. SAINT LAWRENCE During his episcopate, he tirelessly worked against Sebastian grew up in Milan and was martyred by Saint Lawrence is one of the most important Emperor Diocletian. Roman soldiers riddled his body heresy. He died in Ravenne in 448, and his body martyred saints in the Catholic Church. After refusing was brought back to Auxerre where he was buried. with arrows yet he miraculously survived. Arrows to donate the Church's treasure to the Prefect of are the Christian symbol of the plague and represent He is the protector of children, invoked against Rome, Lawrence was martyred and burned on a grill. childhood sicknesses. God's wrath. He is therefore considered to be a In recollection of his martyrdom, Saint Lawrence is patron saint against the plague. represented wearing the deacon's tunic with an iron SAINT GERVASIUS AND SAINT PROTASIUS grill in his hands. Gervasius and Protasius were twin brothers living during the 1st century, during the reign of Emperor SAINT LÉGER Nero. Refusing to sacrifice to Roman gods, they Bishop of Autun, Saint Léger lived during the 7th were tortured and killed. In Saint-Gervais, they are century. Represented wearing bishop’s attire, he also assimilated with military saints. carries a sword and axe, symbols of his martyrdom. He is the patron saint of millers and is invoked SAINT GRATUS against eye diseases. Saint Gratus was bishop of Aoste in the 5th century. He is represented in bishop attire holding John the SAINT LEONARD Baptist’s head. He is invoked to protect against Leonard lived in 6th century France. He is considered to storms and to protect harvests. be the patron saint of prisoners and the paralysed— meaning those who are "prisoners" of their own bodies. SAINT GUARINUS He is represented with broken chains and leg-irons. Originally from the Lorraine region of France, Saint Guarinus was a Benedictine monk. He founded the SAINT NICHOLAS retreat in Saint-Jean d'Aulps and became bishop of Nicholas was a 4th century saint and was born in Sion in Switzerland. He is well known all over the Asia Minor. He was bishop of Myra and was known Savoie region and is invoked to protect herds and for having fought Arianism, a school of thought that also protects against skin illnesses and fire. casts doubts on the Divinity of Jesus. SAINT OURS SAINT HILARY Ours is the most famous and beloved saint in the Hilary lived during the second half of the 4th century Aoste Valley. His name is connected to the Aoste and was bishop of Poitiers. Through his writings, he Collegiate and the millenary fair that takes place fought heresy passionately. Represented wearing in the city every year on 30-31 January. He is bishop's attire, he is invoked against snake bites and, represented with the prior’s staff—the sign of the with Saint Barbara, against fire and flooding. Collegiate Prior—and with a bird placed on his shoulder. According to legend, to feed the peaceful creatures, he always left a part of the grapes in his 45 vineyard. GLOSSARY TO TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER The Itineras mobile app & Meet the Greeters

Did you like learning more about our territory and our history? Even though you've reached the last pages, the learning is not over yet! Our mobile application invites you to continue the visit virtually. Greeters are waiting for you on site and overall, the entire Saint-Gervais and Valgrisenche population are waiting for you, to share unbound our rich sacred heritage. You can count on the same generosity they had to build and maintain their heritage throughout the centuries. SAINT-GERVAIS TOURIST OFFICE Maison de Saint-Gervais 43, rue du Mont-Blanc 74170 Saint-Gervais T: +33 (04) 50 47 76 08 [email protected] www.saintgervais.com PROLOCO VALGRISENCHE 9, loc. Chef-Lieu 11010 Valgrisenche Tel.: +39 3398406922 www.prolocovalgrisenche.com [email protected] PHOTO CREDITS: Saint-Gervais City hall & Denis Vidalie Municipality of Valgrisenche. Archives Assessorat Education et Culture, Region autonome Vallée d’Aoste, Fonds Catalogue biens culturels: Diego Cesare. Private archives: Margherita Angeli, Roberta Bordon, Giulio Bovard, René Berno, Paolo Papone DOCUMENTARY AND ICONOGRAPHIC RESEARCH: Saint-Gervais cultural services: Laure Decomble, Lucie Maistre and Gabriel Grandjacques Municipality of Valgrisenche: Roberta Bordon LAYOUT: Kalistene Design, print, text and translation T: +33 (04) 50 69 01 97

Do not discard on the street ITIN ERAS

Saint-Gervais Tourist Office Maison de Saint-Gervais 43 rue du Mont-Blanc 74170 Saint-Gervais T: +33 (04) 50 47 76 08 [email protected] www.saintgervais.com

Proloco Valgrisenche 9, loc. Chef-Lieu 11010 Valgrisenche Tel.: +39 3398406922 www.prolocovalgrisenche.com [email protected]

UNION EUROPÉENNE ALCOTRA UNIONE EUROPEA Fonds européen de développement régional Fondo europeo di sviluppo regionale