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Origin and history

The Sanctuary of Notre-Dame des Vernettes is a religious building located at 1,816 meters above sea level in the municipality of Peisey-Nancroix, Savoie. Built in the early eighteenth century, it replaces a first oratory dedicated to Notre-Dame-de-Pitié, patron saint of lepers, erected in 1702 and then destroyed. The current Baroque and rococo chapel was built between 1722 and 1742 to house the statue of the Virgin of Pitié, an object of devotion during an annual pilgrimage every 16 July.

The sanctuary is organized around a large chapel decorated with murals made by Luca Valentino in 1733, and a major altarpiece made of polychrome wood, by Joseph-Marie Martel (1738-1742). A cross path leads to a small chapel near a well-known miraculous source, linked to the healing of a Peisey resident in the 17th century. The statue of the Virgin, listed as a historical monument in 1958, and the building, inscribed in 1983, illustrate Savoyard Baroque art.

The shrine has been a spiritual place of the Tarentaise since the seventeenth century. The pilgrimage of 16 July, centered on the procession of the Virgin of Mercy, perpetuates a tradition of Marian devotion. Its spectacular location, between the Aiguille Grive and the Bellecôte massif, reinforces its sacred and landscaped character, typical of Alpine shrines.

The lateral altars, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas (1750), complete the architectural ensemble. The successive restorations of paintings and liturgical furniture testify to the active preservation of this heritage. The site, documented in 1875 by sketches, remains a symbol of faith and religious art in Savoy.

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