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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Matthieu, located in the hamlet of Terrasses on the commune of La Grave (Hautes-Alpes), was erected in the mid-19th century thanks to the patronage of Eugene Salomon, a local merchant. Its private funding reflects the influence of local elites in the religious heritage of the time. The neo-Gothic building incorporates elements inspired by 16th century alpine churches, such as its grey limestone porch. Its interior walls, decorated with painted decorations, and its north window (1863, Lusson workshop) bear witness to a marked aesthetic desire for a rural place of worship.

The construction, completed around 1845, is attested by an inscription engraved in the ground mentioning Carraud Laurent, mayor in 1870. This detail suggests work or official inauguration on that date. The church, a communal property, was listed in the Historical Monuments in 1988 for its architectural and historical interest. Its three-vessel, arched plan and stone arrow illustrate 19th-century constructive techniques in the Southern Alps.

The materials used, mainly limestone tuff extracted from the local tuferes (Buffe valley), highlight the building's geographical anchoring. Only the bases and pillars of the porch, in grey limestone, contrast with this clear stone. The long-paned roof and the stone arrow complete a typical silhouette of the alpine churches of this period. Its classification protects the entire building, including its interior decorative elements and its stained-glass window signed by a Parisian workshop, proof of artistic exchanges between provinces and capital.

The church is part of a broader movement of restoration or construction of churches in the canton during the second half of the 19th century. These buildings, often financed by private donations or municipal funds, served both as places of worship and as symbols of local prosperity. In La Grave, as elsewhere in the Hautes-Alpes, these buildings reflect the importance of Catholicism in community life, as well as the adaptation of national architectural styles (neo-gothic) to regional traditions.

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