Religious heritage in Val Cenis

Val Cenis is home to a remarkably rich religious heritage. Austere on the outside, the region's churches and chapels are home to Baroque art treasures. Discover them on the Chemins de l'Histoire.

Art to discover!

From the church of Saint-Pierre d'Extravache in Bramans to the chapel of Notre-Dame du Poivre and the restoration of the church of Saint-Michel in Lanslevillard, all the religious buildings in the villages of Val Cenis, whether churches, chapels or oratories, bear witness to the fervor with which local people have built places of worship since the dawn of time.

Saints are invoked to protect against natural disasters (Saint-Landry for rain and Sainte-Anne against avalanches) and diseases (Saint-Roch and Saint-Sébastien against the plague). A must-see is the Saint-Sébastien chapel at Val Cenis-Lanslevillard, with its unique painted decorations depicting the life of Christ and the saint. Entering this chapel is like immersing yourself in a "medieval comic book", with boxes painted on every wall. An experience not to be missed.

Heritage is alive and well at Val Cenis , and restoration projects are underway, in particular with local talent. In the tradition of the artists who sculpted and decorated the interiors of churches and chapels centuries ago, we invite you to meet Armelle Filliol, a local painter and restorer, for a visit or a discovery workshop. In particular, she was involved in restoring the superb interior paintings in the churches of Lanslevillard and Lanslebourg.