capuchin convent and church

The Capuchin convent and church in Saint-Maurice (French: Couvent des Capucins) is a Franciscan complex in the Swiss canton of Valais, set in a quiet part of town beneath the old Bourg quarter. It makes a peaceful stop for visitors who come to Saint-Maurice for its famous abbey and want something calmer.

How did the Capuchins come to Saint-Maurice?

The Capuchins grew out of a 1528 reform of the Franciscans, a return to the ideals of St Francis of Assisi. They reached Valais in 1602 as part of the Catholic Reform, stopping first in Monthey, and were welcomed by the Abbey of Saint-Maurice. A permanent community settled in the town in 1610, at the foot of the Bourg.

What is the history of the buildings?

The convent went up in 1647. The great town fire of 1693 destroyed it, and it was rebuilt three years later. That makes the complex part of the Saint-Maurice that was reconstructed after the disaster.

What will you see?

The standout feature is an art-deco chapel added in 1940. It came from the circle around Alexandre Cingria, the artists of the Saint-Luc and Saint-Maurice group, who were known for renewing religious art in French-speaking Switzerland. Next to the older convent buildings it reads as a clearly separate twentieth-century layer. The surroundings are calm, which suits a short pause during a walk through town.

How do you get there?

The convent stands in Saint-Maurice at roughly 46.220 N, 7.006 E. The town lies in the Rhône valley and has a railway station within a few minutes' walk of the centre. Walking is the easiest way to get around.

When to visit and where to ask for details

The town's tourism page lists no fixed chapel opening hours or fees. For current information, contact Saint-Maurice Tourisme at Place de la Gare 2 (tel. +41 24 485 40 40), open afternoons from 14:00 to 17:00. Pair the visit with the Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune, a separate site in the same town.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Capuchin convent in Saint-Maurice founded? The community settled in 1610 and the convent building was erected in 1647.

Did the convent survive the 1693 fire? No. The fire destroyed it, and it was rebuilt three years later.

What is architecturally distinctive here? The art-deco chapel of 1940, created by Alexandre Cingria's group.

Is it the same as the Abbey of Saint-Maurice? No. The abbey is a separate, much older complex; it was the abbey that welcomed the Capuchins in 1602.