The Notre-Dame du Scex chapel is a sanctuary nestled into a cliff face, nearly 90 m above Saint-Maurice. You reach it via a path of 484 steps to discover a place of pilgrimage linked to the hermitage of Saint Amatus.
Religious buildings
Main highlights
- A cliffside sanctuary sheltered beneath an overhanging rock face, nearly 90 m up
- A climb of 484 steps from the station, with views over the Rhône Valley and Saint-Maurice
- A 13th-century Virgin and Child surrounded by stained glass by Albert Chavaz and ex-votos
Overview
The chapel recalls the hermitage of Saint Amatus, a monk from the nearby abbey who withdrew here in the early 7th century. Excavations carried out during the 1958-1959 restoration uncovered the foundations of an earlier building, probably dating from the late 8th century. The present chapel dates from the 17th century.
By the early 14th century, the site was an established pilgrimage destination : a female recluse lived here and a priest celebrated Mass. In 1475-1476, during the war between the Upper Valais and the Duchy of Savoy, the chapel and hermitage appear to have been sacked.
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What to see and do
The Scex chapel, from the Latin saxum, meaning rock, sits on one of the ledges of the cliff overlooking the Abbey of Saint-Maurice d’Agaune. The rock overhangs it completely, protecting it from falling stones. The site is part cave, part sanctuary.
Inside, the stained-glass windows and the altar painting are the work of Albert Chavaz, created in 1959. Above the altar, a central niche houses a 13th-century Virgin and Child. The walls display a selection of ex-votos, the most significant of those that covered them before the restoration.
Near the chapel, a hermitage recalls the contemplative life of the religious who succeeded one another here. From the ledge, the view stretches over the Rhône Valley and Saint-Maurice.
Practical information
Access : on foot only, via a path of 484 steps starting near Saint-Maurice station, about 1 km with 170 m of elevation gain.
Visit duration : allow 30 to 45 minutes for the climb, the same for the descent, plus time for the visit.
Who it’s for : the climb requires a reasonable level of fitness.
On site : Masses are celebrated during the warmer months.
Visiting tips
Wear non-slip shoes, especially in wet weather or when there is dew. Go up early in the morning or in the late afternoon to avoid the heat and enjoy soft light over the valley.
The chapel is still an active sanctuary : please keep silent inside.
Nearby attractions
- The Abbey of Saint-Maurice, founded in 515 by the Burgundian king Saint Sigismund, is a stop on the Via Francigena.
- The Grotte aux Fées leads through a tunnel carved into the rock to an underground lake fed by a waterfall.
- Fort de Dailly is an underground fortress with about 20 km of galleries, visited with a guide.
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