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Origin and history

The church of Saint-François-de-Sales, located in Habère-Poche in Haute-Savoie, is a Catholic building built in the mid-19th century in a neo-classical Sardinian style. It is under the patronage of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva and Doctor of the Church, because of its historical link with the region. This monument marks the separation of the parishes of Habère-Poche and Habère-Lullin in 1841, after decades of tensions related to population growth and religious management.

Prior to 1841 Habère-Poche and Habère-Lullin formed a single parish, dependent on the Abbey of Aulps until 1792. After a fire in 1781 damaging the church of Hamère-Lullin, the two communes voted for its reparation despite the desire for independence of Hamère-Poche. The French Revolution temporarily dispersed the clergy, but clandestine masses persisted. The parish separation was finally carried out in 1841, allowing the construction of the present church, completed in 1848 and consecrated by Bishop Louis Rendu.

The church was built from 1837 to 1848, beginning as a chapel before becoming a parish church. Its bell tower, 40 metres high, was erected in 1854 thanks to mixed financing: the municipality supplied labour through chores, while the parish priest took charge of the materials. Initially planned with a bulb, the project is simplified due to lack of resources. Three bells, melted between 1842 and 1856, were installed there, accompanied by a mechanical clock.

In the 19th century, the church underwent major repairs in 1889-1890, financed by a communal loan, to remedy structural damage. The interior changes continued in the 20th century: the removal of the pulpit and the high altar in 1966, the installation of an organ between 1989 and 1991, and the restoration of wall paintings between 1993 and 1996. These frescoes, made in 1848 by Jean Ferraris and Casimir Vicario, represent religious scenes and theological symbols.

The present organ, acquired from the occasion and adapted to the choir, was installed without buffet in 1989, and then completed with an artisanal buffet in 1991. The three bells, still in place, are housed in a 1855 wooden belfry. The church, now integrated into the parish of the Visitation in the Green Valley, regularly hosts concerts, perpetuating its cultural and spiritual role in the community.

Architecturally, the church is distinguished by its east-west orientation, its main entrance framed by doric columns, and its octagonal bell tower surmounted by a cock-girouette. Inside, the nave leads directly to the choir, decorated with restored paintings and an organ. The 19th century stained glass windows and side altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Joseph complete this heritage complex.

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