Plateau d'Assy
Encyclopedia
Plateau d'Assy is a region in the French Alps
, in Haute-Savoie
department, France, near the border of Italy. The plateau, at an altitude of 3,450 feet (1,050 meters) in the foothills of Mont Blanc
, is noted for its beautiful scenery and healthful climate. Primarily an agricultural district, the plateau is also a winter sports area. The village of Passy
is located here.
The plateau, situated below the Fiz mountain range, is very popular with paragliders and hang-gliders, and hosts the largest paragliding school in France. In the 1950s the plateau was serviced by a cable car from Chedde, but this no longer exists.
The most notable feature of the area is the modern church of Notre Dame de Toute Grace
, begun in 1937 and consecrated in 1950. It was designed by the architect Maurice Novarina
, and many outstanding modern artists contributed to its decoration, including Fernand Léger
, Jean Lurcat
, Germaine Richier, Marc Chagall
, Jacques Lipchitz
, and Georges Rouault
. The church was built through the efforts of Father Marie Alain Couturier, a Dominican
priest, who sought to revitalize church architecture through the contributions of the best contemporary artists regardless of their faith.
It was also host to a sanatorium
for TB victims, and still hosts a hospital for the mentally infirm. In 1970, 74 people died including 56 children when a blanket of snow buried a sanatorium at the Plateau d'Assy.
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
, in Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
department, France, near the border of Italy. The plateau, at an altitude of 3,450 feet (1,050 meters) in the foothills of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
, is noted for its beautiful scenery and healthful climate. Primarily an agricultural district, the plateau is also a winter sports area. The village of Passy
Passy, Haute-Savoie
Passy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Located there is the Sancellemoz sanatorium, where Professor Marie Curie died.Lac Vert is located in the commune....
is located here.
The plateau, situated below the Fiz mountain range, is very popular with paragliders and hang-gliders, and hosts the largest paragliding school in France. In the 1950s the plateau was serviced by a cable car from Chedde, but this no longer exists.
The most notable feature of the area is the modern church of Notre Dame de Toute Grace
Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau d'Assy
The church of Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau d'Assy is a Roman Catholic church in France, constructed on the plateau d'Assy between 1937 and 1946. It faces Mont Blanc, and is within the territory of the commune of Passy, in the Haute-Savoie department...
, begun in 1937 and consecrated in 1950. It was designed by the architect Maurice Novarina
Maurice Novarina
Maurice Novarina was a French architect; born in Thonon-les-Bains, in Haute-Savoie, he died in the town of his birth. He is best known for having designed the church of Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau d'Assy. He was a student of the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, and later...
, and many outstanding modern artists contributed to its decoration, including Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
, Jean Lurcat
Jean Lurçat
Jean Lurçat was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry.-Biography:He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L'Hote. He was the brother of André Lurçat, who became an architect...
, Germaine Richier, Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
, Jacques Lipchitz
Jacques Lipchitz
Jacques Lipchitz was a Cubist sculptor.Jacques Lipchitz was born Chaim Jacob Lipchitz, son of a building contractor in Druskininkai, Lithuania, then within the Russian Empire...
, and Georges Rouault
Georges Rouault
Georges Henri Rouault[p] was a French Fauvist and Expressionist painter, and printmaker in lithography and etching.-Childhood and education:Rouault was born in Paris into a poor family...
. The church was built through the efforts of Father Marie Alain Couturier, a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priest, who sought to revitalize church architecture through the contributions of the best contemporary artists regardless of their faith.
It was also host to a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for TB victims, and still hosts a hospital for the mentally infirm. In 1970, 74 people died including 56 children when a blanket of snow buried a sanatorium at the Plateau d'Assy.