Les Chapelles combines a municipal landscape shaped by slopes with churches, a historically designed farmhouse and an art gallery. Sacred artworks, a striking façade and art in sculpture, painting and photography offer different points of interest. The area can be explored through its landscape, architectural history and art.
Hillside settings and views in Picolard
The municipality is largely shaped by slopes and ranges from around 800 m to a high point of 2,900 m, an elevation difference of around 2,000 m. The hamlet of Picolard offers a particular viewpoint. It lies at 1,250 m on the hillside terrace of Versant du Soleil. From there, you can see the ski areas of Les Arcs, Montchavin-les-Coches, La Plagne and La Rosière, as well as Col de la Madeleine and Mont Pourri. These elevations refer to two different levels: the municipality as a whole and the specific location of the hamlet. Picolard thus offers its own point of reference within the extensive hillside landscape.
Churches, chapels and architectural history
The Eglise Saint-Martin was built between 1681 and 1686. Its neoclassical high altar retable bears a painting of Saint Martin; a bas-relief of the Last Supper is mounted on the altar mensa. Guided tours are available for individuals and groups. The Chapelle-Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel offers a different focus: its interior paintings have been restored. At St Antoine's Chapel in the hamlet of Picolard, the baroque retable with its typical iconography takes centre stage. The chapel dates from 1702 and lies along the “Chemins du Baroque” visitor route.
The Ferme de Villarivon also tells its own architectural story. It is partly protected as a historic monument. From the 18th century onwards, a family of notables began transforming the farmhouse through architectural design as an expression of its social success. Its defining features include the monumental façade with two rows of false windows and Italianate painting, associated with a style that became popular in Turin around 1850. Two periods thus come together: the transformation began in the 18th century, while the style of the painting points to a fashion that became popular later.
Art in Chevrière
Art Espace Chevrière is an art gallery in the hamlet of Chevrière, above the Tarentaise Valley, with views of the Vanoise Massif. The gallery, which opened in 2017, exhibits works by Bruno Barbieri, sculptor and painter; Yannick Chirat, sculptor; and Pierre Bottex, photographer. Several artistic mediums come together here: Barbieri combines sculpture and painting, Chirat is represented as a sculptor, and Bottex through photography. This offers a different way to experience Les Chapelles from its sacred artworks and the farmhouse’s façade design.
Routes with different points of interest
The route information offers different points of interest. St Antoine's Chapel lies along the “Chemins du Baroque” visitor route. The “Les Hameaux du Soleil” route is marked in blue and follows a greenway shortly after the village of Bellentre, leading to Aime. If you plan to take this route, check local route conditions and cycling access before your trip. This means a named visitor route and a route with a designated cycle path are presented in different contexts: one is associated with the chapel, while the other is described by its markings and its course towards Aime.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Martin-De-Belleville, Lépin-Le-Lac, Chignin, Presle, Montcel, Chambéry, Albiez Montrond, Grésy-Sur-Isère.
Go to the overview of the wider area: Savoie.
