Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Divers
  3. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  4. Haute-Savoie
  5. 74310 aux Houches

  6. Christ the King

Christ the King en Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie

Christ the King

    140 Chemin du Rocher d'Oran
    74310 aux Houches
Christ-Roi
Christ-Roi
Christ-Roi
Christ-Roi
Crédit photo : X-Weinzar - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
23 décembre 1922
Encyclical *Quas primas*
1929
Launch of subscription
août 1933
Laying the first stone
19 août 1934
Inauguration of the statue
1926-1951
Curat by Father Delassiat
1947
Sliding of the Peace Bell
11 août 1949
Installation of the bell
14 août 1949
Blessing of the chapel
19 décembre 1977
Purchase by the municipality
10 mars 2020
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Christ the King, in its entirety, and the plot on which it is found cadastral section A No.72, the carillon with its building and the plot on which it is located cadastral section A No.71, as well as the cadastral parcel section A No.73, all located at the place called Couseau, Way of Christ the King: inscription by decree of 10 March 2020

Key figures

Claude-Marie Delassiat - Curé des Houches (1926-1951) Project initiator and engine.
Pie XI (Achille Ratti) - Pope (1922-1939) Inspirator via the encyclical *Quas primas*.
Florent du Bois de La Villerabel - Bishop of Annecy Financial and spiritual support.
Georges Serraz - Architect and sculptor Manufacturer of the statue.
Viggo Feveile - Architect Interior design and campanile.
Chanoine Kir - Priest Blessed the chapel in 1949.

Origin and history

The statue of Christ-Roi, located in Houches in Haute-Savoie, is a monumental work of 25 meters high, conceived in the 20th century. Located on a rocky spur at 1200 m above sea level, it overlooks the Chamonix valley and is accessible only by hiking trails. Its location, chosen to dominate the landscape as Mount Blanc dominates Europe, symbolizes the spiritual supremacy of Christ according to Father Claude-Marie Delassiat, initiator of the project.

The idea was born in 1926 under the impulse of Father Delassiat, parish priest of the Houches, inspired by the encyclical Quas primas of Pope Pius XI (1925) proclaiming the universal kingship of Christ. Supported by the bishop of Annecy and the Vatican, he launched an subscription in 1929 to finance a statue higher than the Christ Redeemer of Rio. Despite insufficient funds, the height is reduced to 25 meters. The first stone was laid in August 1933, and the work, slowed down by difficult access, ended in one year.

The statue, made of reinforced concrete covered with silith imitating granite, weighs 500 tons and incorporates a staircase of 84 steps leading to a platform hidden behind the crown. Its Art Deco style and its innovative structure for the era contrast with technical challenges, such as wind resistance, solved by a concrete base of 90 m3. At his feet, a pedestal chapel, inaugurated in 1949, pays tribute to Pius XI, a mountain climber who had climbed Mont Blanc in his youth.

A bell of 1,800 kg, cast in 1947 by the foundry Paccard, is installed in an adjacent campanile. Funded by a collection of metals and subscription, it sounds daily for Angelus and summer offices. Its transport, delayed by twists, symbolizes the material difficulties of the project. The statue, bought by the commune in 1977, has been listed as a historic monument since March 2020.

The site, accessible by hiking trails, attracts pilgrims and tourists on a terrace between the statue and the carillon. Although exterior gilding has disappeared, the quality of concrete, never restored despite a hostile climate, remains remarkable. Christ the King embodies both a religious heritage, a technical prowess and a symbol of peace in the twentieth century marked by conflict.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum