Saint-Gervais and Saint-Protais Church

Visit description

In the heart of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the church dedicated to Saints Gervais and Protais is a remarkable example of religious architecture from the Duchy of Savoy. Built at the end of the 17th century by master masons from the Val Sesia, it stands out for its characteristic bulbous bell tower and its hall-church plan, which creates a unified, luminous interior volume.

The building has a rare architectural feature: it is oriented in reverse, with the entrance to the east and the choir to the west—a constraint imposed by the site’s topography. This visit will take you from the bell tower and its medieval foundations to the spectacular main altarpiece, via the listed organs and restored painted decorations.

Visit plan

Step 1: The bell tower

Admire the bulbous bell tower typical of Savoyard Baroque art, rebuilt after a fire on 12th-century medieval foundations.

Step 2: The façade and portal

Discover the singularity of this “reversed” church, with its Serlian window and the frescoes of the saints’ martyrdom under the porch.

Step 3: The nave and the pulpit

Enter the vast “hall church” space and observe the carved pulpit depicting the four Doctors of the Latin Church.

Step 4: The choir and main altarpiece

Contemplate the spectacular concave altarpiece from 1822, following the curve of the apse behind the rood beam.

Step 5: The organs and side altars

Finish with the great organ by the Cavaillé-Coll workshop and the side altars dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales and Our Lady.