Chapelle des Chattrix
Description
The Chapel of the Chattrix is one of the Baroque gems in the Montjoie Valley. It was built in 1694 and reworked between 1720 and 1723 through a donation from the Genamy brothers—peddlers originally from Saint-Nicolas who prospered and became merchants in Vienna, Austria.
The Chapel of the Chattrix is one of the Baroque gems in the Montjoie Valley. It was built in 1694 and reworked between 1720 and 1723 through a donation from the Genamy brothers—peddlers originally from Saint-Nicolas who prospered and became merchants in Vienna, Austria. Saint Donat and Saint Leonard are its patron saints.
Classified as a historical monument in 1976, the chapel is decorated with a beautiful painted façade: vases of flowers, finials, inscriptions in the cartouches, and trompe-l'oeil architectural elements.
The interior of the chapel contains beautifully preserved painted decorations on the walls, reflecting the images on the façade, as well as sculptures in the choir and ten18th-century paintings.
Technical information
74170 Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
Altimetric profile
Additional information
History, culture and heritage
Presented on a canvas listed as a Historic Monument in 2003, the Blessed Sacrament refers to the host consecrated during mass and displayed to the faithful in a monstrance, a goldsmith's sun. For Catholics, this symbolised the real presence of Christ's body in the host, a notion rejected by Protestants at the time. The chapel houses a number of paintings, the most notable of which is the Coronation of the Virgin, a Baroque work by Dutch artist Philippe-Christian de Bentum in 18th-century Prague. Restoration of the chapel in 2019 has restored the canopy behind the altarpiece, while the delicate wall paintings complement the abundant sculpted and painted decoration.
The altar is adorned with an Italian-style leather antependium, embellished with silver, making this chapel a true jewel of Baroque art. Last but not least, the old chairs preserved in the chapel bear witness to a singular practice: the taxation of chairs. Parishioners rented a chair by the year and inscribed their name on a small ceramic plaque, thus providing additional income for the parish priest and the chapel.
Contact
Phone : 04 50 47 78 95
Email : serviceculturel@saintgervais.com
Website : drone-de-regard.fr/vr/facim/74_saint-gervais_les-chattrix.html
Updated by
Office de Tourisme de Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc - 23/02/2024
www.saintgervais.com
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Price(s)
Free access.
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