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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-de-Alle-Grâce is a Catholic church built between 1937 and 1946 on the plateau of Assy, at an altitude of 1,000 metres, in the commune of Passy (Haute-Savoie). Initiated by Canon Jean Devémy, it was designed by architect Maurice Novarina as a modest mountain church inspired by Savoyard chalets, made of local stone, wood and slate. Its originality lies in its harmonious integration with the Alpine landscape, with a 28-metre bell tower and a robust structure adapted to abundant snow.

The reputation of the church lies in its exceptional decoration, entrusted to the greatest artists of the twentieth century. Canon Devémy, a friend of Dominican father Marie-Alain Couturier, solicited major figures such as Georges Rouault, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and Pierre Bonnard. The latter, chosen for their talent and not their faith, created stained glass, mosaics, sculptures and paintings, transforming the building into a manifesto of modern sacred art. This approach provoked controversy among the traditional clergy during its consecration in 1950.

The interior, inspired by Romanesque chapels, houses emblematic works: Léger's mosaic on the facade, Rouault's stained glass windows evoking the Passion, Germaine Richier's Christ on the Cross (long time hidden for his iconoclastic character), and Jean Lurçat's tormented tapestry in the choir. The crypt, the baptismal fonts decorated by Chagall, and the ceramics of Matisse complete this unique ensemble. The church, listed as a historical monument in 2004, symbolizes the dialogue between spirituality and artistic avant-garde.

The Assy plateau, formerly a health resort for tuberculosis patients, housed about 20 pre-war medical facilities. The church was designed to meet the spiritual needs of the sick and staff in the absence of a local place of worship. The works, interrupted by the war, resumed thanks to the determination of Devémy, who supervised both the construction and the choice of artists. The building was blessed in 1941, with a crypt open to worship, before its final completion.

In 2000, a controversy broke out around the installation of the Human Rights Advocacy, a sculpture by Gilles Roussi, near the church. Maurice Novarina, opposed the project, boycotted its inauguration. Today, the church is visited free of charge, with guided tours offered by the tourist office and volunteers from the CASA association, highlighting its artistic, historical and spiritual heritage.

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