Barioz in Pralognan

Barioz is one of the 7 hamlets of Pralognan-la-Vanoise. Its name comes from the Latin “barium”, meaning barrier and, by extension, customs barrier. The chapel of Notre-Dame du Barioz or Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs was erected by the Blanc family in the 18th century, a wealthy landowner and merchant of the town. This chapel has some unique peculiarities: cellars under the chapel belonging to the town of Planay and to the Gilles family (Alpage de Ritort). The saints represented in the building bear the name of the five sons of the founding benefactor, Antoine Blanc.