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Origin and history

The Basilica Saint-François-de-Sales of Thonon-les-Bains is a neo-classical Catholic church built in 1889 according to the plans of architect Théodore Figel. Initially planned to replace the church of Saint-Hippolyte, it was finally joined to it after the opposition of the inhabitants. The work, interrupted by financial constraints, resumed in 1921 under the impulse of priest J. Chaumont, and the church was consecrated in 1930.

During the First World War, the unfinished building served as a warehouse and workshop for local traders and then for the army supply services. On its resumption in 1921, the project was simplified, with a single bell tower instead of two. The basilica was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1993, after decades of construction and development.

The interior of the basilica houses major works, including paintings by Maurice Denis made in 1943, such as L'Apparition du Christ aux Saintes Femmes and his last Way of the Cross, restored in 2012. The stained glass windows, created by Raphaël Lardeur, evoke the Forty Hours of Saint Francis de Sales, a key episode of the Counter-Reform in Thonon. The organ, inaugurated in 1967 by Pierre Cochereau, has 2,955 pipes.

Among the remarkable elements are a 14th century statue of the Virgin with the Child, native to Beauvais, and capitals carved by Philippe Koepplin and François Robert in 1942. The altar dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales presents an authentic portrait of the saint, highlighting his historical connection with the region, marked by the Bernese occupation and the Protestant Reformation.

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