Chapel of St James the Greater in Sommarèse

Introduction

The Chapel of Sommarèse, dedicated to St James the Greater, celebrates the saint every year on 25 July. Of the Twelve Apostles, St James the Greater was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John, both of whom were very close to Jesus. Unlike James the Lesser, patron of the nearby hamlet of Emarèse, St James the Greater is the titular of this small chapel.

Description

The dating of the chapel is uncertain, but the earliest documents mentioning it date back to the 18th century, and an inscription on the main beam is dated 1862. Inside, the church has a ribbed vault that lends breadth to the space, while the gilded wooden altar is embellished with four decorative columns. On the façade, two niches contain more recent statues of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart, contributing to the simplicity and sacredness of the building. 

The Sommarèse chapel, nestled in the mountain landscape, is a spiritual and historical landmark for the local community.