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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church, also known as Saint-Grat Church, is located in Conflans, a former fortified village of Albertville in Savoie. This monument, of Savoyard Baroque and neo-classical style, was built between 1701 and 1720 after a fire in 1632 which destroyed the previous building. It replaces a first church mentioned in 1014, linked to the medieval parish of Conflans, then located on the border between France and Italy on a major Roman road linking Lyon to Rome.

The present church, rebuilt by master architects Felix Michel, Albert Chiesaz and Pierre Jean Coterlaz, was consecrated in 1716. It suffered major damage during the French Revolution: its bell tower was demolished in 1794 and its retables dismantled. After the Concordat of 1801, the bell tower was rebuilt identically in 1804, and the retables were restored after 1815. Around 1850, major repairs were undertaken to preserve this architectural masterpiece.

The interior of the church is distinguished by a nave of four vaulted bays, decorated with octagonal caissons and religious motifs. Its furniture includes a monumental gold altarpiece (1708) and a carved walnut chair (1718). Since 1432, the building has also been home to relics of Saint Grat of Aosta, bishop of the fifth century and patron saint of Conflans. Its double bulb bell tower, visible from all the valley of Albertville, makes it a local symbol.

Ranked a historical monument since October 3, 1989, the church illustrates the religious and artistic heritage of Savoy, marked by its strategic positioning between France and Italy, as well as its central role in the community life of Conflans since the Middle Ages.

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