Heritage of the Clarée valley

The La Clarée Valley has a rich architectural and religious heritage, consisting of churches, chapels, bread ovens, traditional houses, Sundials …

There are many chapels on all sides along the valley. They are often decorated with frescoes, the most well known is the Chapel of St. Mary, emblem of the La Clarée Valley, in the hamlet of Fontcouverte in the Upper Valley. Often privately owned, they sometimes have charming ex-votos in thanks for divine protection. They bear witness to the importance of religion in remote mountain communities.

In Névache the St Marcellin Church is a jewel of the fifteenth century. It was constructed in 1490 after a promise made by King Charles VIII during a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Embrun . The two Queens, Joan of France and Anne of Brittany, contributed much to the edification of the Church.
The location chosen was that of Chateau Fort (castrum Navaschia) whose eleventh century tower was kept to serve as the base of the steeple.

The Church of St Sebastien in Plampinet was built in 1510 and is famous for its superb sixteenth century wall paintings that depict the Passion of Christ on 21 panels painted by Italian artists in around 1550.