Plateau d'Assy is a region in the French Alps, in Haute-Savoie department, France, near the border of Italy. The plateau is at an altitude of in the foothills of Mont Blanc. Primarily an agricultural district, the plateau is also a winter sports area. The village of

Passy Passy () is an area of Paris, France, located in the 16th arrondissement, on the Right Bank. It is home to many of the city's wealthiest residents. Passy was a commune on the outskirts of Paris. In 1658, hot springs were discovered around whic ...

is located here. The plateau, situated below the Fiz mountain range, is popular with paragliders and hang-gliders, and hosts the largest paragliding school in France. In the 1950s the plateau was serviced by a cable car from Chedde, but this no longer exists. A notable feature of the area is the modern church of Notre Dame de Toute Grace, begun in 1937 and consecrated in 1950. It was designed by the architect

Maurice Novarina Maurice Novarina (June 28, 1907 - September 28, 2002) was a French architect; born in Thonon-les-Bains, in Haute-Savoie, he died in the town of his birth. He is best known for having designed the church of Notre-Dame de Toute Grâce du Plateau ...

, and the artists who contributed to its decoration, include

Fernand Léger Joseph Fernand Henri Léger (; February 4, 1881 – August 17, 1955) was a French painting, painter, sculpture, sculptor, and film director, filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of cubism (known as "tubism") which he gradually ...

Jean Lurçat Jean Lurçat (; 1 July 1892 – 6 January 1966) was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry. Biography He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L ...

, Germaine Richier,

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...

, Jacques Lipchitz, and

Georges Rouault Georges Henri Rouault (; 27 May 1871, Paris – 13 February 1958) was a French painter, draughtsman and print artist, whose work is often associated with Fauvism and Expressionism. Childhood and education Rouault was born in Paris into a po ...

. The church was built through the efforts of Father

Marie-Alain Couturier Marie-Alain Couturier, O.P., (15 November 1897 – 9 February 1954) was a French Dominican friar and Catholic priest, who gained fame as a designer of stained glass windows. He was noted for his modern inspiration in the field of Sacred art. Li ...

, a Dominican priest, who sought to revitalize church architecture through the contributions of the best contemporary artists regardless of their faith. It was also host to a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

for TB victims, and still hosts a hospital for the mentally infirm. In 1970, 74 people died including 56 children when a blanket of snow buried a sanatorium at the Plateau d'Assy.

References

{{coord, 45, 56, 15, N, 6, 42, 20, E, type:city_region:FR, display=title Landforms of Haute-Savoie Assy Landforms of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes