L’anniversaire des 90 ans du Christ Roi

Anniversary program:
10:30 am: Public welcome on site. Free tour of the new exhibition on the Christ Roi site.
11am: MASS celebrated by the parish priest.
Shuttle service from the SNCF station parking lot at 10am and 10:15am.
Two drop-off points above and below Christ Roi
Good walking shoes strongly recommended.
Shuttles return at 12:30 pm.

In the 1930s, Abbé Claude Marie Delassiat wanted to build a statue of Christ on the commune of Les Houches in homage to Pope Pius XI (Achille Ratti by his lay surname), author of the encyclical on Christ the King and a great mountaineer. He received support from Mgr du Bois de la Villerabel, Bishop of Annecy, and encouragement from the Vatican. He also knew how to give his project a national resonance, and launched a subscription campaign in 1929. This enabled him to raise the necessary funds for the structural work in just three years. Built in less than a year, Christ the King was consecrated on August 19, 1934, in the presence of over 3,000 pilgrims. After the Second World War, Claude-Marie Delassiat had a campanile built next to the statue, housing the "Peace Bell", inaugurated in 1949.
The statue was listed as a Monument Historique in 2020, attesting to its architectural and artistic value.
This colossal 25-metre statue stands on a rocky outcrop, facing the majestic panorama of the Mont Blanc chain. Located in the heart of the Coupeau forest on the southern slopes of Les Houches, the statue stands at an altitude of 1,200 metres, is 25 m high and weighs 500 tonnes (reinforced concrete). It towers over the valley by more than 200 metres, adding to its gigantic scale.

The Dans l'Temps association offers tours of the chapel of Christ the King on July 7, 10 and 24 and August 21. Information from the Tourist Office.