Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Laurent church of Annecy-le-Vieux is a Catholic building under the patronage of Saint Laurent. It shares its history with an ancient church of Notre-Dame, probably before the 12th century, of which the Romanesque bell tower remains. These two churches, dedicated respectively to Notre-Dame and Saint Laurent, coexisted using the same bell tower, symbol of their historical and parish ties.

The reconstruction of the St. Lawrence church around 1840 adopted a neoclassical style, called "sard" under the direction of architect Ignace Monnet. This project marks a stylistic break with the medieval past while preserving the oldest element of the site: the Roman bell tower. The interior decoration is entrusted to Valdotan artists Alessandro Augusto and Antonio Artari, adding a distinctive artistic touch to the building.

The 12th century bell tower, the only vestige of Notre Dame Church, illustrates the continuity between the two buildings. Although the present church is a 19th century creation, this Romanesque bell tower bears witness to a religious occupation of the site since the Middle Ages. The ensemble forms a hybrid architectural heritage, mixing medieval heritage and Sardinian classicism, typical of the Transalpine region.

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