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Description
Thonon’s oldest church dates back to the 12th century and has been redone and restored several times. The only original feature is its crypt. The church is now one of the best examples of the Baroque style in the Haute-Savoie area!
The church is dedicated to Saint-Hippolyte, a Roman officer who was martyred in 258, and was built in the 14th century on the foundations of a primitive church from Roman times.
In 1439 during the reign of Savoie’s first duke, Amédée VIII, the parish church became a papal chapel when the Council of Basel and the Pope decreed it.
Protestants used it as a temple during the Bernese invasion in 1536.
In 1594, François de Sales brought the Chablais area back to the Catholic faith and celebrated Christmas here in 1598.
It was fully revamped at the end of the 17th century with incredible Baroque decor. Reverend Louis Gillette, Holy House Prefect, began the work and his successor, Joseph-Marie de Rossillon from Bernex completed it.
It became a Temple of Reason during the French Revolution. Saint-Hippolyte returned to the Catholic faith at the beginning of the 19th century and was listed as a national heritage site in 1909.
The vault has been plastered in stucco in the Italian style by Tessin plasterers B. Pandolph and J.F. Silva.
The two frescoes on the outer façade show Saint Philippe Neri on the left and Saint St Maurice d'Agaune on the right.
Equipment at your disposal
Service
Spoken languages
- French
The opening time
Opening hours
All year round
Opening hours on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 8.30 am and 12 pm and between 2.30 pm and 6 pm.
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