Notre-Dame-de-la-Vie, a 17th-century Baroque sanctuary above the Belleville valley

A place of pilgrimage in the heart of the Belleville valley

The sanctuary looks out over the valley from its isolated promontory, close to the village of Saint-Marcel. Its position sets it apart in the religious landscape of Tarentaise, where it holds a leading status. Large pilgrimages drew considerable crowds on 15 August, the Marian feast day, and again in early September.

Accomplished 17th-century architecture

The current building was constructed between 1633 and 1680, on the site of an earlier and more modest sanctuary. The architect Nicolas Deschamps designed it on a centred Greek-cross plan, with a central dome resting on pendentives and topped with a lantern. The frescoes decorating the interior are the work of the Savoyard painter Nicolas Oudeard.

The main altarpiece, carved by the Piedmontese artist Jean-Marie Molino, is rich with sculptures and gilded ornamentation depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. At its centre stands a statue regarded as miraculous. The building's two other altarpieces, plainer in style, sit in the side transepts: the one in the north chapel depicts the Virgin and Child, while the one on the right shows the Assumption of the Virgin.

A €2.6 million restoration programme

Weakened over time, the sanctuary has undergone a restoration programme, prioritising reinforcement of its structure — particularly the pillars supporting the dome — before restoring the interior plasterwork and decoration. The work cost €2.6 million. Funding came from the Commune de Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, with support from the Ministère de la Culture and the Département de la Savoie.

A heritage landmark of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Vie sanctuary is a landmark feature of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville's heritage, echoing the village's identity, which combines mountains, history and Savoyard traditions. It forms part of a wider heritage ensemble alongside the village church, noted for its Baroque splendour, an old bread oven and the local museum devoted to the valley's history.

What sets Notre-Dame-de-la-Vie apart is its setting: religious heritage here sits among hamlets and stone-and-timber chalets, with the peaks of Vanoise as a backdrop. This closeness between historic buildings and mountain surroundings shapes the identity of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, where monuments and local traditions are part of the experience of the area.

Key points

1. The sanctuary, on an isolated spur near the village of Saint-Marcel, is regarded as the most venerated place of pilgrimage in Tarentaise.
2. The current building, constructed between 1633 and 1680 on a Greek-cross plan, was designed by the architect Nicolas Deschamps.
3. The main altarpiece, the work of the Piedmontese sculptor Jean-Marie Molino, houses a statue regarded as miraculous.
4. A restoration programme, funded with €2.6 million by the Commune de Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, the State and the Département de la Savoie, has reinforced the sanctuary's structure and decoration.
5. The site forms part of a wider heritage ensemble in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, alongside the village church, an old bread oven and a local museum.