Châtel

The St Laurent church in Châtel

A little wooden chapel “the big castle chapel” was build in the 15th century.  At this time, Châtel was just a dependency of La Chapelle d’Abondance and became a proper parish in 1643. This first chapel was dedicated to three saints famous in the region:
- St Laurent who was giving the church wealth to poor people.
- St Jean-Baptiste, considered as the Messiah precursor
- St Théodule: the vine growers and bell founder’s protective saint.
In 1662, a “solid” church was build with the altar oriented east-west in direction of Jerusalem. We ca suppose that it has been build at the same place than the “big castle”.
Soon it became too small to welcome the inhabitants and the first tourists, so a project of building a new church came out.
But as it was built on an unstable ground, it has to be oriented north-south (perpendicularly to the old church). Its actual foundations are built on piles.
Architecture:  the church is build with stones coming from Petit Châtel, regarding the draught of an architect named Raillon living in Annecy.
Its plan is basilical: a main nave and any transept.
The whole building has a neo gothic style. The harmony of the colours (pink and grey) inspires calmness. The stained glass windows: made in 1960 by a master glass maker named Balmet in Grenoble, each one reminds us of the Gospel with a link with actual life situation.

To come within the framework of the 100th anniversary of the St Laurent Church a book about it named "Châtel, il était une fois l'église St Laurent" has been printed (in French only). It's for sale at the tourist board and at the town hall for €20.

The chapels of Châtel

- The Vonnes chapel:  build in 1630 and placed under the protection of “Notre Dame des Neiges, Saint Bernard and Saint Martin”.
- The Essert chapel: build in 1784 in the memory of the victims of a landslide.
- The Notre Dame de Plaine Dranse Chapel: located in the high pastures it has thirty years.