Saint-Etienne church - Sollières

Name: Saint-Etienne church - Sollières
Address: Sollières-Endroit Sollières-Sardières, Val-Cenis, 73500
Telephone: 06 69 65 15 51
Price range: Free access.

Val-Cenis

Don't trust appearances: the exuberant Baroque décor of the church's interior contrasts dramatically with the simple exterior. You're in for quite a treat!

Description

The current building is not the original: on the 8th March 1817, an enormous avalanche descended from the Dent Parrachée, damaging the old church. A prolonged dispute followed about where to rebuild. The local community had to wait eight years for the new building which was constructed 200 metres further up the valley, out of danger.
The entrance to Sollières church - as with other churches in the Haute Maurienne - is via a vast vestibule which offers protection from cold and inclement weather. The floor of this entrance area is paved with pebbles from the riverbed, not to mention good intentions! The décor inside the church is wonderfully heart-warming with no fewer than 5 altarpieces. The main altarpiece, which dates back to 1680, is unusual in that it was designed by Molino and Todesco, two master sculptors from Valsesia (Piedmont), not from the Haute Maurienne. But they all share similar features including volutes with rocaille ornamentation and and polychrome wood. A feast for the eyes!