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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Maurice de Thônes, located in Haute-Savoie, was built between 1687 and 1697 under the direction of the Piedmontese architect Pierre Chiesa, originally from Valsesia. It replaces an earlier building and is placed under the patronage of St.Mauritius of Agaune, Christian martyr and patron saint of Savoy. His major altarpiece, made between 1723 and 1726 by the sculptor Pierre Jacquetti (vallée Anzasca), represents the martyrdom of the saint, while the paintings were entrusted to the Chambérien Berangier. The gilding of the altarpiece, completed in 1742 by Jean Anthoine Gros Lambert, completes this Baroque ensemble.

In the 19th century, the church underwent major changes: the metal bell tower, bearing the date 1819, was attributed to Savoyard Plorutto (signed "Ploru"). In 1866, an anonymous painter copied Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper and a Pentecost in the choir. The original porch was replaced in 1883 by a neo-Roman portal. The building, desecrated and transformed into a warehouse during the valley revolts, was restored several times, notably in 1930-1931 and after the damage of the Second World War (German bombardment of 1944 building the right nave).

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1971, the church houses remarkable furniture: a bronze statue of St.Mauritius on the facade, a central panel table depicting his martyrdom, and four bells melted by the Vallier & Gautier dynasties (large bells) and Paccard (small ones). A Strasbourg organ was installed there in 1965, closing the restorations undertaken since 1963. Its bulb bell tower, typical of Alpine religious architecture, dominates the village of Thônes, a witness to seven centuries of Savoyard history.

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