Church of Saint John the Baptist en Savoie

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Marin, located in Haute-Savoie, is a Catholic place of worship under the patronage of John the Baptist. It belongs to the parish of Saint-André en Gavot-Léman and is located on the right bank of the Dranse. Its origin dates back to a donation by the Burgondes King, Sigismund, who offered Marin to the monastery of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune (Valais) during its foundation or restoration.

In the 12th century, the church was the object of a conflict between the Bishop of Geneva, Nantelme, and the Grand Saint Bernard Hospice. In 1191, an agreement at Thonon attributed the church, as well as those of Meillerie and Thonon, to the monastery of Grand-Saint-Bernard. These rights were confirmed in 1286 by a pontifical bubble of Honorius IV. By 1480, the church was dedicated to John the Baptist, perhaps since its foundation.

The building housed a chapel dedicated to Saint Anne and Marie-Madeleine, mentioned in 1570. It kept relics, including five fingers of Saint Anne locked in a silver foot, brought back from the Holy Land by a lord of Blonay according to legend. The present Gothic-style church was rebuilt between 1874 and 1876 by the architect Dénarié.

The relics of Saint Anne are still the subject of an annual pilgrimage on July 26, authorized in 1876 by the bishop of Annecy, Claude-Marie Magnin. The parish belonged in the 19th century to the dean of Alinge, stressing its religious importance in the region.

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