Hike : The Baroque Footpath

The church was built by the Italian builder Domenico Gualino and completed in 1759, as shown on the four cast-iron tie rods at the corners of the façade. The church's interior remained unfinished at this time and its interior decoration dates from 1847.The spire was added in 1845. The square bell-tower was built on a tower of the ancient Montjoie castle that guarded the entrance to the Bonhomme mountain pass. The porch roof informs us that the church is dedicated to the Holy-Trinity, an uncommon dedication for a church in this part of Europe. The funds for its construction came mostly from emmigrants. The church survived the French Revolution, the annexation (of the Mont-Blanc departement ) and the Napoleonic wars without damage. The secret of making the original tinplate scales has been lost, so the roofing has been renovated using with stainless steel. The church was immortalized in 1802 by the famous english painter Turner. Its most recent renovation was carried out by Edouard Borga in 1976. Extract from “Les Contamines at the beginning of the century” by an amateur photographer, Dr. Ancelet, the first doctor to live in the village.

When one arrives at the Gorge, one discovers 14 small oratoricals (or chapels) that dot the path leading to the church.They were built at the instigation of Father Gaillard in 1728, primarily to lend even more splendour to the Marian cult already established in this location. The Rosary comprises five “Joyful Mysteries”, five “Sorrowful Mysteries” and five “Glorious Mysteries” that commemorate the various stages of the life of the Virgin Mary.

"An extremely ancient place of pilgrimage with a curious Baroque-style oratory, covered with Renaissance frescoes and gilt, in the purest tradition of Savoie's religious heritage..." wrote Roger Frison Roche in Mont-Blanc aux sept Vallées.We have no certain information on the origin of Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge: it is said that 900 years ago, a hermit settled in this valley bottom, to welcome and comfort travellers who passed through this place... The path led to the Bonhomme pass, and from there, one reached Italy. The pious hermit had organised a sanctuary for the "spiritual rehabilitation" of travellers. He dedicated it to Saint Anthony, the patron saint of muleteers and guides. The archives reveal that the small sanctuary became a parish. The bottom of the valley was inhabited: in 1338, the "village" of La Gorge had thirty "fires" (households). A VERY SPECIAL ALTARPIECE Originally, the group of statues on the upper level of the altarpiece illustrated the Coronation of the Virgin, the fifteenth mystery of the Rosary. Mary at prayer, flanked by Christ and God the Father, occupied the central part of the decoration. For some unknown reason, the altarpiece was taken down between the end of the 18th and the middle of the 19th century. Perhaps to protect it during the revolutionary period? When it was put back in place, it was thought to be a good idea to place the statue of the Eternal Father in the centre of the decoration... But the scene thus lost its original meaning! For a long time, art historians, disconcerted by this four-figure Trinity, spoke of "theological boldness". It was only by chance, in 1998, that the original meaning of this composition was understood, when one observed the direction of the cherubs' gaze under each statue! A LATIN VERSION OF THE FAÇADE The façade of the building, protected by its large decorated roof overhang, is comparable, in a slightly simplified version, to those of other churches in the valley. Two stuccoed cartouches with Latin inscriptions are visible: on the left, it is written "He who has found Mary will find life" and on the right "Her foundations are established on the holy mountains". A final inscription can be seen on the transverse band between the cornice and the oculus: "I am the Mother of beautiful goodness". THE STATUES The statues on the left and right of the main altarpiece evoke Saint Anthony, the first patron saint of the place, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the preacher of the Blessed Virgin. Little by little, the church was enriched with five other altars, three of which had gilded altarpieces. They have now disappeared, except for the openwork columns of the left-hand altar and the magnificent frieze in relief, which represents the angels consoling the souls in Purgatory. The flowery, colourful and gilded ensemble is characteristic of the Baroque style. On the left, a statue of Saint François de Sales - bishop of Geneva and great promoter of the reform of the Catholic Church - holding a flaming heart, alludes to his "Traité de l'Amour de Dieu" published in Annecy in 1616. Take a virtual tour here: drone-de-regard.fr/vr/facim/74_contamines.html

Two hundred metres beyond the church at Notre Dame de la Gorge, a small rather remarkable chapel is perched on the side of the rockface. The primitive structure was located directly in line with the current chapel.According to tradition, the first hermit to settle at the Gorge chose this spot. At the beginning of the Middle Ages the holy chapel became a highly prized place of pilgrimage for the inhabitants of the region. Even today, for the Assumption on 15th August and on 8th September, the anniversary of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a procession is organized from the Church of Notre-Dame de la Gorge to the Holy Chapel.