Snowshoeing itinerary : The village of Chantemerle

The Chantemerle Chapel in Samoëns was built in 1684. It was placed under the protection of Saint-François de Sales. This popular saint in Savoy is often invoked as a multi-talented thaumaturge.Nowadays, Saint-François de Sales is the protector of journalists and, by extension, writers. Topped by a magnificent bulbous bell tower, the hamlet chapel is an architectural witness to the art of the stonemasons. The parishioners used to come here in procession, praying and singing for good weather and abundant harvests. This center of religious and social life has survived through the centuries. Just like the De Vallon Chapel, the one in Chantemerle had a role in protecting the local people. They were called the "Bochars de la Lanche". Huddled near the houses of the hamlet that gave it its name, this chapel remained until the 19th century as a pilgrimage place to save the harvests during severe droughts or persistent rains. The chapel was magnificently restored in 2007 thanks to the support of the association "Les amis des chapelles". Would you like to visit the hamlet of Chantemerle, its surroundings, and its chapel? Partial circuits are well signposted (yellow signposts) by the Syndicat Intercommunal de la Vallée du Haut-Giffre and the Conseil Général de Haute-Savoie ( Environmental Quality). Guided tours, organized by the Guides du Patrimoine Savoie Mont Blanc in summer and winter also allow visitors to enter the chapels, but also to discover their history as well as that of these typical Savoyard hamlets.