Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Saint Sebastian, built in the 15th century, stands at Lanslevillard, in the Haute-Maurienne (Savoie), at 1,490 m above sea level. Its architecture and murals, dated from the late 15th century, make it a jewel of Alpine religious heritage. An engraved stone suggests its construction in 1446, while an inscription of 1518 on a ceiling box attests to a restoration of the frescoes. The latter, divided into two cycles (life of Christ and life of Saint Sebastian), have 53 panels with Latin legends. Their style evokes the workshop of Bartolomeo Serra, active in nearby Piedmont at the same time.

Ranked a historical monument in 1897, the chapel is linked to devotion against plague, frequent in the Alps. An oral tradition reports that his pictorial cycle was ordered by an epidemic survivor. The paintings, which were initially raw in the wet, reveal traces of sinopia (preparatory drawings), suggesting a mural technique. A striking detail shows a doctor inciting a bush pest on a patient, illustrating the medical practices of the time.

Archaeological excavations around the chapel revealed a neolithic site (circa 3500–3300 B.C.), a necropolis of La Tene (circa 75 B.C.), and burials from the High Middle Ages (VIII–IX centuries). These discoveries highlight the ancient occupation of the site, long before the construction of the religious building. The chapel, a communal property, remains a major testimony of art and alpine piety at the hinge of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

External links