Saint Bartholomew's Church à Montsapey en Savoie

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Saint-Barthélémy Church is a Catholic church located in the commune of Montsapey, Savoie, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is dedicated to the Apostle Barthélémy and is located at the entrance of the Maurian valley, overlooking the village. Its architecture combines neo-Gothic and neo-Roman elements, with a unique nave and a square bell tower.

The construction of the present church began on October 25, 1865, under the direction of the diocesan architect Samuel Revel and the entrepreneur Jacques Gaggione, after the old church of the sixteenth century, which had become old, was considered irreparable. The work ended on November 14, 1867, with the addition of a sound-shaft to the bell tower in 1868. Financing is provided through local taxation, local donations and municipal borrowing. The elements of the high altar, transported by train to Randens, were then mounted on the back of men and animals to the village.

The church ceilings were painted in 1891 by the Turinese Pierre Moretti, thanks to the funding of the canon of the Collegiate. The building was listed as a Historic Monument in 1986, then classified in 1988 for its interior decorations. Between 1985 and 2006, several restoration campaigns were carried out, including the renovation of the roofs in 1985, the interior restoration between 2002 and 2003, and the installation of a historic altar from the Mollard chapel in 2006. This work, estimated at €300,000, is coordinated by the local association Montsapey-Avenir-Heritage.

Inside, the church houses a polychrome wooden high altar of 1875, adorned with five statues (L'Espérance, Faith, Charity, the Vertu of religion, and the Good Shepherd) and surmounted by a altarpiece depicting the martyrdom of Saint Barthélémy, painted by Pier Celestino Gilardi. Nine neo-Gothic sculptures, made by the brothers Alexandre and François Gilardi, frame this altarpiece. The church also preserves a polychrome wooden altar from the old chapel of the Mollard, decorated with a painting of Our Lady of the Seven Pains and a statue concealing a devil at her feet.

Saint-Barthélémy Church illustrates 19th-century Savoyard religious art, mixing neo-Gothic, neo-Roman and Baroque influences. Its history reflects the commitment of the local community to its construction and preservation, as well as the importance of religious heritage in the Maurian Valley.

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