Walking tour - La Chapelle du Calvaire

The Calvary Chapel has a history dating back several centuries. Built on a hilltop, it offers visitors who take the trail and the Way of the Cross a beautiful view of the town of Viuz-en-Sallaz, Lake Môle, and the Giffre mountains.Originally, Calvary Hill was grassy and had nothing on its summit, not even a few fir trees (planted in 1901). Its name changed over time : Petit Môle, La Forteresse, Le Pain de Sucre and Tour du Guidon. Based on an idea by the parish priest of Bonnaz, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows was built there in a neo-Gothic style and inaugurated on 15 September 1889, about a year after the completion of the Way of the Cross. On the fourteenth station of the Way of the Cross, a clearly visible date indicates that the work was completed in 1878. While three stations were built thanks to donations from parishioners, the other eleven were built by families from the region. Thus, every year on the third Sunday in September, a pilgrimage took place up to the chapel. Its construction required materials to be transported by donkeys. Over the years, the chapel underwent several phases of repairs, the first of which took place in 1910-1911. For its 50th anniversary, the bell tower was renovated and the roof was covered with slate in 1971.