Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Notre-Dame de la Visitation chapel, also called Notre-Dame-du-Poivre, was built in 1536 at the entrance of the village of Termignon, on a major commercial axis linking Lyon to Milan, known as the "Spicy Road". This first name, Notre-Dame-du-Poivre, bears witness to its connection to the trade in spices, a flourishing economic activity at that time. The building, of modest but symbolic style, marked a spiritual stop for travellers and merchants crossing the Alps.

In 1652, the chapel was redecorated to Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation, thus changing its name while retaining its role as a place of devotion. Inside, the faithful could admire a altarpiece carved by Sébastien Rosaz in 1710, as well as a collection of ex-votos, offerings of pilgrims in thanksgiving obtained. These elements illustrate the cultural and religious importance of the site to the local community.

A major restoration took place in 1841, during which two lateral naves were added and the choir raised. This date, engraved above the front door, marks a key step in the architectural evolution of the chapel. Ranked a historic monument in 1987, it remains today a precious testimony of Savoyard heritage, mixing commercial history, popular devotion and baroque art.

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