The church of Saint-Léger, Aymavilles
A painted façade beside the Cogne road, and a very old crypt
On the road that climbs from Aymavilles towards Cogne, the first thing you notice is its façade covered in paintings. Yet the church of Saint-Léger is much older than this 19th-century decoration: it has a crypt that may date from the early Middle Ages.
From the Benedictines to the Bishop of Aosta
The origins of Saint-Léger are linked to the arrival of the Benedictines in the Aosta Valley. The church first appears in a document on 5 April 1145: a bull of Pope Eugene III. In 1424, it came under the authority of the Bishop of Aosta.
The present building was built between 1760 and 1762. Monsignor Pierre-François de Sales, Bishop of Aosta, consecrated it on 25 May 1765.
A nave painted from end to end
The church has a single nave, covered by groin vaults. These vaults are decorated with paintings. The painter Grange produced them in 1856 and 1857, at the same time as the trompe-l’œil façade.
The high altar is the work of the sculptor Freydoz, from Brusson, in 1856. The organ was built in 1848 by G. N. Cesa.
A bell from 1372
The bell tower stands a few steps away from the church. It is a square tower of exposed stone, topped by an eight-sided spire. It probably dates from the late Renaissance. It houses the oldest dated bell in the Aosta Valley. It was cast in 1372 and dedicated to the Virgin.
The two-aisled crypt
The oldest part lies beneath the church. The crypt is divided into two aisles. It may go back to the 8th century, and some studies consider it even older. It is one of the oldest known crypts in the region.
The axis of the chancel is not quite straight: it is slightly offset. This is often seen as a symbol of Christ’s head, bowed on the cross.
Visits and concerts
Volunteers open the church to the public every Sunday in summer and offer guided tours. The building has good acoustics, and the church also hosts concerts.
