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Origin and history

The Saint-Maurice church of Annecy, originally dedicated to Saint Dominique, was built from 1422 as a chapel of a Dominican convent, on the initiative of Cardinal Brogny. Located on the edge of the ramparts, near a canal linking the Thiou to the Massé, it was consecrated in 1445 although not completed. Its vaults were built in 1491, and it took the name of Saint-Maurice after the destruction of the former homonymous church, patron saint of Savoy. This monument reflects the flamboyant Savoyard Gothic style, typical of the Alps, although Raymond Oursel highlights his lack of aesthetic research, attributed to financial constraints.

During the French Revolution, the church was desecrated, turned into a grain market and then a stable. She returned to her religious vocation in 1803 under the Concordat, with the reconstruction of her bell tower in 1822. A major restoration took place between 2014 and 2015. Inside, the Notre-Dame-de-Pitié-et-Saint-Michel chapel, erected in 1478 at the request of Count Janus de Savoie, houses the tombs of the latter and his wife, Hélène de Luxembourg. The murals, such as the Assumption of Mary or the tomb of Philibert de Monthoux, bear witness to the patronage of the local noble families, particularly Luxembourg.

The organ, installed in 1869 by Merklin-Schütze and modified in 1966, as well as the four bells of the bell tower – including a fondue in 1561 by François Sermond, official founder of Bern – illustrate the evolution of heritage over centuries. The church, partially classified as a historical monument since 1957 (after a first inscription in 1943), embodies both the religious, political and artistic history of Savoy, marked by its late attachment to France.

Architecturally, the building is distinguished by its flamboyant Savoyard style, an alpine variant of late Gothic. The stained glass windows, the tombs and the frescoes, such as the one depicting Saint Thomas and the Blessed Belt of the Virgin, underline its role as a place of memory for the local aristocracy. The steel bell, rare in the region, and the little unused bell recall technical and liturgical adaptations over the years. Today, Saint-Maurice remains a symbol of Annecian heritage, between medieval heritage and contemporary restorations.

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