The Virgin of Chatelard

Tourist Office of Val d'Arly bureau in La Giettaz en Aravis. Welcome of the public, information, documentation, booking, ticket office, shop, service. Do not hesitate to come and visit us! ATM in the lobby.

The chapel of Le Plan was built at the end of the 1860s at the initiative of Abbé J.M. Jiguet and the local residents. Blessed in 1870 under the protection of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the chapel is in neo-gothic style.

The church of La Giettaz, dedicated to Saint Pierre-aux-Liens, was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century to replace the medieval building. Its bulbous bell tower and its furniture make it a fine example of late Savoyard Baroque.The first church in the village was built at the very end of the 14th century. Imagine, before this construction, the Giettois went to mass, risking their lives in winter, in Flumet for the inhabitants of the village, and in Megève for the inhabitants of the hamlet of Plan! If the exterior is admirable by the presence of the majestic onion bell tower with two lanterns, the interior of the vast building derives its originality from its Greek cross plan: this choice allowed the construction of a central dome, which was decorated with frescoes. in 1848. Raise your eyes to the sky: restored in the spring of 1999, their colors await your eyes! In 1732, a sculpted altarpiece was installed, paid for by the Giettois who had emigrated to Paris. The current major altarpiece, from 1849, partially reuses this old decor (the pale green part with the twisted columns), so it retains the vitality born of the Baroque spirit.

Display of traditional Savoie costumes, a woodwork workshop and a snow themed exhibition: skis, sledges, bob sleighs. Possibility of visit during village tour on Friday mornings.Located in an old house in the center of the village, this museum aims to safeguard and to make known all that constituted the life of our ancestors.

Little chapel located at the place known as L'Abbaye and which is part of the Oratory and Cross itinerary.The chapel was probably the first place of public worship in La Giettaz, at the beginning of the 11th century. The Benedictine monks came from Megève to the place known as L'Abbaye in the summer, which meant that they needed a chapel close by. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and given the name of the Annunciation. During the Revolution, it suffered much damage : its bell tower was destroyed and its bell requisitioned to make canons. Neither was it spared by the avalanches of 1843, 1847 and 1914. In 1927 it was restored but was again swept away by an avalanche of 1978 which came down from Les Verres and La Pare (at the summit of the Aravis mountains). It was rebuilt on a smaller scale in 1981 and 1982, further to the east, away from the risk of avalanches. The Virgin of the Anunciation was sculpted by a local from La Giettaz, with the inscription "Me Voici".

The Virgin of Le Châtelard can be reached by an easy, short walk (1 hr – 3.2 km, 700m difference in altitude) from the Col des Aravis. The ramble offer lovely views over the Arondine valley, Aravis and Mont-Blanc mountains.Erected during the summer of 1936, the statue of the Virgin of Le Chatelard was solemnly blessed on 4th October 1936 by Abbé MERCIER who recounted its history : "On 14th July 1935, around 4 pm, a thunderbolt from the sky struck the chalet of Le Chatalard, which belonged to François PORRET from Le Biollay. His wife Marie Augustine PORRET from Les Mortines was on the porch, reciting her rosary with her two daughters. The lightning struck the roof, just above her, passing through her body and tearing her clothes, burning her stomach and a leg, and shattering her wooden clog, leaving her barely alive. The lightning then entered the barn, splitting the flooring and killing 3 cows in the cowshed. Marie Augustine was left without hearing but she can thank the Virgin Mary for not being killed outright. In recognition of this, her family erected a statue of the Virgin”. (source : Association La Giettaz et son patrimoine)