Prarreyer Chapel

Before the 1940s, the hamlet had no chapel, which was a problem for the Christian village and its priest. However, it took a certain amount of courage to undertake such a construction in the middle of the war.

The chapel was dedicated to Nicolas de Flue, the protector of the country. For the occasion, the architect Zimmermann broke with the traditional formulas. The chapel of Prarreyer, of circular form, hardly resembles other Valaisan chapels; it is rather similar to transalpine buildings. And the fresco by the Geneva and Savoie painter Albert Chavaz shows a richness of tone and composition that is quite particular. Let's not forget the craftsmen who did the structural work: the Maurice Vaudan company with the master mason M. Brouchoud.

The open bell tower houses a small bell that bears the names of its godfather and godmother: Berthe Vaudan and Emile Roduit, and the inscription: Michelle-Irène, Implore la paix et l'unité pour le peuple suisse - 1943

In short, to quote the reflections of the canon-poet Marcel Michellod, the chapel of Prarreyer is like a battle of ideas: it unites the Romanesque experience with its rotunda pierced by small round windows, the attempts of the Renaissance in the richly colored coffered ceiling, the audacity of the modern with the bell tower open to the full height, and finally the high technique of intense and collected art in the magnificent fresco of Chavaz, which transports us to the pure masterpieces of Giotto's time.

Since 1943, the chapel of Prarreyer has undergone some modifications. First of all, a modern Way of the Cross in the form of a crown of thorns was installed. The work of Mr. Anton Mutter, from Naters, expresses the mystery of Christ sharing our sufferings and leading us to the glory of the resurrection. The figures are made of cut and hammered iron, while the inclination of the larch cross expresses the pain of each station. The fragility of the roof, built during the war, had to be fortified in 1972, and in order to ring the bell three times a day, it was necessary to resort to electromechanical means.

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