The Calvary Way

The Megève Calvary, with chapels depicting scenes of Christ's Passion and located between the village centre and the Mont d'Arbois Plateau, is one of the only in France to be listed as a European Sacred Mount and Historic Monument.
Designed and erected between 1840 and 1878, the Megève Calvary was first and foremost the work of one man, Father Ambroise Martin (1791 - 1863), the parish priest of Megève from 1820 to his death. In an idyllic setting, it is composed of 15 chapels and oratories depicting the stations of the Way of the Cross from Jerusalem to Golgotha. The different religious edifices, combining all the architectural styles of the past, are home to about 50 life size painted wooden statues together with frescoes and "trompe-l'oeil" paintings. This combination of architecture, sculptures and paintings evokes astonishingly realistic images of the life and passion of Christ. And in former times this collection of buildings became such an important place of pilgrimage that for a long time Megève was given the name of the "Savoyard Jerusalem". Today it is listed as an Historic Monument, representing a reminder of the past for locals, a pleasant walk for holiday-makers, and offering everyone a wonderful panoramic view over the upper Arly valley and the Mont-Blanc. Important work carried out between 2001 and 2007 has restored the Calvary to its former glory. The chapels and oratories have been carefully restored, both inside and out, and the surrounding grounds landscaped giving the appearance of the the X1Xth century countryside.