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Origin and history

The church Saint-Claude du Casset, located in Le Monêtier-les-Bains in the Hautes-Alpes, is a Catholic religious building built in the 18th century. It is distinguished by its imposing bell tower and apse adorned with 17th-century altars, woodwork, and baptismal fonts dated 1717. The church, initially a chapel dependent on the parish of the Monêtier, was rebuilt between 1716 and 1717 after a fire had destroyed the previous building, originally dating back at least to the beginning of the sixteenth century.

The reconstruction of the church is attested by two engraved dates: 1716 on the vault key of the abside, and 1717 on the grid of the axial window. She became a parish church in 1828 and underwent minor modifications to the bell tower, as evidenced by the dates 1879 and 1888 engraved on her western door. Its architecture combines dogive vaults in the nave and choir, as well as a rotating staircase leading to the rostrum, while the bell tower, covered with an imperial roof, remains accessible only by ladders.

Classified as a historical monument since 1945, Saint-Claude Church illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the Southern Alps. Its interior elements, such as wrought iron from the Paschal candle or woodwork, reflect the artisanal know-how of the 17th and 18th centuries. Today owned by the commune, it remains a place of worship and a testimony of the local heritage, marked by fires, reconstructions and successive adaptations.

The location of the building, in the hamlet of Casset, underscores its central role in community life since its establishment as an independent parish in 1828. The work of the 19th century, although secondary, bears witness to a desire to preserve and adapt to the liturgical and structural needs of the period. Registration in the Historic Monuments in 1945 helped to protect this heritage, while making it accessible to visitors and the faithful.

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