Chapel of the Annunciation of Oulme

The Oulme chapel is officially dedicated to Maria Annunziata but has always been confidentially called the chapel of San Cristoforo, due to the imposing external fresco which represents the Saint in the act of ferrying Baby Jesus across the rushing waters of a river. On the same facade there is also the fresco of the Annunciation, dated 1533.

The "Holy Ferryman" who became the protector of pilgrims and travellers, for centuries was represented on the facades of churches and chapels in the Upper Valley which are now disused but were once located along important communication routes.

The building, which in the past was a stop for devotional pilgrimages from neighboring France, has very interesting architectural features.
It is the oldest chapel in the municipality of Salbertrand and in all probability it replaced the Church of San Giovanni Battista during the renovation works which involved it in the last decades of the fifteenth century.

Inside, the harmony of lines and the structural and decorative use of stone recall the architecture of the Parish Church, suggesting a construction continuity. The arches of the vault meet in the key, decorated with the image of the lamb; at the four corners, capitals represent zoomorphic figures. A wooden gate, similar to the one present in the Certosa della Losa, clearly separates the area intended for the faithful from the presbytery; an iron chest is embedded in it, with a heavy lock, intended for collecting alms. Frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Mary, defaced over the centuries by passing troops, decorate the internal walls. The richness of the colors, among which gold and lapis lazuli stand out, testify to the importance of the sacred building. An inscription to the right of the altar allows its dating: 1534.

In 1713, with the treaty of Utrecht and the transition to the Savoy family, a breath of renewal pervaded the Upper Valley.
Thick layers of plaster and a canvas depicting the Annunciation, in baroque style, positioned above the altar, have transformed the original appearance of the chapel, covering for three centuries and preserving up to the present day its precious frescoes which only in 2008, thanks to the restoration campaign promoted by the Curia, the Municipality and the Natural Park of the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand, with the contribution of the Compagnia di San Paolo and the Piedmont Region, conducted by the Department of Architectural Design of the Polytechnic of Turin under the supervision of the Superintendence of historical and artistic assets of Piedmont have been returned to their ancient splendor.

Services

Museum

Guided tour

Parking