Chapelle d'Essert-la-Pierre

Built in 1534, the chapel at Essert-la-Pierre is dedicated to Our Lady of Compassion and to Saint Grat. It was rebuilt in 1832 and restored recently thanks to the efforts of the hamlet's locals.

It is believed to be one of the oldest chapels in the valley. It was built in 1534 and the first mass was celebrated in 1537. The chapel was enlarged to its present proportions in 1832-1833. In 1837, it was fitted with the altarpiece commissioned in 1833 from the sculptor Jean-François Baud. Just five years later, humidity had damaged the floor and paintings. In 1842, local craftsman Jean-Marie Collet undertook the interior painting. The building was restored again in 1923. Finally, the hamlet's inhabitants formed an association (A.C.E.P.) and managed to raise the sum needed for restoration in 1998. The chapel is located in the center of the hamlet, beside the road. A double staircase provides access. The single-nave vessel is built on an elongated, rectangular, east-west plan. The chapel is built of masonry and cement rendering. The roof is broken into a slate pavilion and features a eaves. The bell tower has four slate sides and a hexagonal spire topped by a weather vane. The openings are round-arched and made of stone. The door's pediment is composed of two stone pilasters, and its tympanum is elaborately carved. Above, there is a small oculus. There are also three lateral basket-handle openings. The cross vault is reinforced with tie rods. A gate separates the porch from the nave, which is off-limits to the public. A staircase leads to an upper nave.