Saint-Grat Chapel in Fénis

Access

At the Nus exit of the A5 motorway, take the direction for Fénis. Once in the town centre, about 500m beyond the castle you will find the sign for the hamlet of Pommier. You then take the road that climbs into the forest. After about 10 minutes' drive at a hairpin bend on the right you will see an information totem. This is the starting point of the hike.
 
 Leaving the car, proceed along a level dirt track that heads north-east; after a few minutes, you will come to a fountain and, shortly afterwards, the cottages of the village of Coteau (1236m, 0h05'): here, the path (1) starts on the right, crossing some ruins and entering the forest. After encountering a small oratory, you cross a landslide generated by the 2000 flood and proceed very slightly uphill in a beautiful wood of mainly Scots pine. After about a quarter of an hour's shady walk, you reach a small knoll with suggestive views of the not-so-distant Punta Charmontane; shortly afterwards, you come to a wooden footbridge that replaces an earlier bridge: about halfway across the bridge, you can make out the builder's initials and the date of construction carved into the rock (24/07/1634). Once across the bridge, a short flat section leads to the San Grato chapel (1374m, 0h20').

Introduction

The little church of Saint-Grat is located among the pines and firs of the Mont Saint-Julien forest. Built during the 18th century, this isolated little church has a distinctive architectural shape with an octagonal plan.

Description

The little church of Saint-Grat is located among the pines and firs of the Mont Saint-Julien forest. Built during the 18th century, this isolated little church has a particular architectural form with an octagonal plan. Externally, the roof is of the traditional sloping-pitch type with a slab roof covering, while internally, the ceiling is a painted sail vault. Due perhaps to humidity, but also to the lack of proper maintenance, the walls are very peeling and the exterior walls have been almost entirely covered with various engravings. The entrance door is made of decorated wood and is surmounted by a four-lobed window. The chapel cannot be visited, so the 19th-century gilded wooden altar and the painting of Saint-Grat (of recent date) can only be peeped at through the small window. Despite its poor state of repair, catching a glimpse of this little church suddenly emerging from the trees is nevertheless a thrilling experience

Information

Visit information

 The chapel is closed, visible only from the outside