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Origin and history

The Church of the Conversion of Saint Paul, located in Saint-Paul-en-Chablais (Haute-Savoie), has its origins in the early twelfth century. Mentioned in 1107 as dependent on Savigny Abbey, it was linked to the order of Cluny by partial donations, then attached to the Priory of Lutry in 1140. The foundation of the Benedictine priory, although not dated accurately, probably dates back to the early 13th century, as evidenced by the first mention of a prior named Peter in 1210, close to the Faucigny family.

The church, rebuilt in the 13th century in a unique nave Gothic style, housed the tombs of the lords of Blonay until the 19th century. In the 18th century, it was enlarged with lateral naves and its bell tower rebuilt against the bedside. After a fire in 1906 destroying the bulb bell tower, it was rebuilt identically between 2012 and 2014, thanks to mixed funding (grants and private donations).

Among the remarkable elements, a medieval wooden sculpture depicting a Christ on the Cross, classified in 1959, was discovered in the 1950s. In 2020, frescoes of the funerary chapels of the Blonays, including a 15th century Coronation of the Virgin, were restored and unobstructed. These remains illustrate the historical importance of the site, marked by links with the local noble families and the Benedictine order.

The church, restored in 1979, preserves traces of its priorial and parish past, mixing Gothic architecture, Sardinian altarpieces (post-1816) and funeral elements. Its history reflects the religious and seigneurial dynamics of Chablais, between clunisian, Genevan and Savoyard influences.

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