Churches

Église Saint-Maurice

Joseph Merklin Annecy

Église Saint-Maurice is a former chapel of a Dominican convent and a church building in flamboyant Savoyard style, a variety of late Gothic typical of the Alps. Its construction was initiated at an unspecified date, ordered by Cardinal de Brogny, and the chapel was built at the request of the count. The building was consecrated on an unspecified date. Its name changed after the destruction of the old church dedicated to Saint Maurice near the castle.

The description of the church includes a painted scene on a vermillion red background showing the Virgin with joined hands ascending to heaven, carried by four angels. It also notes Saint Thomas looking at Mary while carrying the “Sainte Ceinture,” in reference to a medieval legend. Cardinal Pierre de Luxembourg is recorded as donor, referring to the commissioners, the Luxembourg family.

The church organ was built by the Merklin-Schütze manufacture in 1869 and substantially modified in 1966 by Athanase Dunand. The bell tower contains four bells, including a large bell dated 1561, a second bell from 1826, a rare steel bell cast at Unieux by Holtzer, and a small unused bell. The building was listed as a historical monument in 1943 and partially classified in 1957.

Map showing the location of Église Saint-Maurice in Annecy
Location of Église Saint-Maurice in Annecy

Nearby Objects

Historical Background

The building known as Historique was originally the former chapel of a Dominican convent. Its construction was initiated on an unspecified date, and Cardinal de Brogny ordered the work. The chapel was later consecrated on an unspecified date. Its name changed after the destruction of the old church dedicated to Saint Maurice near the castle, linking the building to the saint in the local religious landscape.

Architecture, Interior Decoration, and Sound Features

The church is described as being in flamboyant Savoyard style, a variety of late Gothic typical of the Alps. One chapel was built at the request of the count on an unspecified date. Its decoration includes a vermillion red background showing the Virgin with joined hands ascending to heaven, carried by four angels. Saint Thomas is shown looking at Mary and carrying the Sainte Ceinture, in reference to a medieval legend. The description also records Cardinal Pierre de Luxembourg as donor, referring to the commissioners and the Luxembourg family.

The church organ was built in 1869 by the Merklin-Schutze manufacture and was deeply modified in 1966 by Athanase Dunand. Those changes included stop alterations, a new console, and the addition of a positive division.

The bell tower contains four bells. The largest dates from 1561 and was cast by Francois Sermond, the official founder of Bern in Switzerland. The second bell was cast by Claude Paccard in 1826. The third is a rare steel bell in the region, cast at Unieux by Holtzer. A small unused bell is also installed, but it is too modest in size to rival the bourdon, which weighs just under two tons.

Historic Protection

Eglise Saint-Maurice received official heritage protection in two stages. It was listed as a historical monument in 1943, marking the first formal recognition of its historic value. Later, in 1957, part of the church was classified as a historical monument, adding a further level of protection to specific elements of the building. These measures place the church within the framework of preserved historic architecture and reflect its recognized cultural importance.