Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of the Conversion of Saint Paul, located in Saint-Paul-en-Chablais (Haute-Savoie), is a former Benedictine Prioral Church. Mentioned as early as 1107 under the dependence of Savigny Abbey, she passed under the authority of the Priory of Lutry in 1140. The first traces of a priory and Benedictine monks appeared in the 13th century, with Peter as the first prior known in 1210, linked to the family of Faucigny. The Gothic church housed the tombs of the lords of Blonay until the 19th century.

The building, originally composed of a unique nave and a flat choir, was enlarged in the 18th century by lateral naves. Its bell tower, rebuilt after a fire in 1906, was restored in 2012 to its bulbic appearance. A medieval wooden sculpture, classified in 1959, and frescoes of the 15th and 20th centuries, including a Coronation of the Virgin, bear witness to its rich artistic heritage. The priory, probably founded in the early 13th century, was under the protection of Aymon II of Faucigny.

In 2020, the restoration of the frescoes of the Blonay funeral chapels revealed medieval paintings, while the church, completely classified in 2022, remains a symbol of Savoyard religious heritage. Its history reflects the links between local noble families (Blonay, Faucigny) and monastic orders, notably Cluny and Saint-Victor de Genève. The reconstruction of the bell tower, financed by donations and grants, illustrates the contemporary attachment to this monument.

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