Saint-Maurice Church en Savoie

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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Maurice of Thônes, located in Haute-Savoie, is placed under the patronage of Saint Maurice of Agaune, martyred captain of the Legion Thebaine and patron saint of Savoy. Its construction, led by Piedmontese architect Pierre Chiesa between 1687 and 1697, is part of the Savoyard Baroque revival of modern times. The major altarpiece, by Pierre Jacquetti (vallée Anzasca), represents Saint Maurice and was enriched between 1726 and 1742 by paintings and gildings signed by Berangier and Jean Anthoine Gros Lambert.

The church's history was marked by upheavals: it was desecrated and transformed into a warehouse after a local revolt, and its bell tower was rebuilt in 1819 by the entrepreneur Plorutto. In the 19th century, frescoes inspired by Leonardo da Vinci (1866) and a neo-Roman portal (1883) modernized the building. The conflicts of the twentieth century left traces, such as the partial destruction of the right nave in 1944 by a German bombardment, followed by a restoration in 1945.

Ranked a historic monument in 1971, the church houses remarkable furniture: a bronze statue of St.Mauritius on its façade, a altarpiece illustrating its martyrdom, and a bulb bell tower with four bells, including two fondues by the Vallier & Gautier Alpines. The successive restorations (1930-1931, 1963) and the installation of a Strasbourg organ in 1965 testify to its heritage importance in the Thônes valley.

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