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This former church houses an organ with a Burgundy oak case...
Description
The first mention of the church dates back to 1178. Emperor Frederick II Barbarossa came here to be crowned King of Arles. In 1447, the town became part of the Dauphiné, and the future Louis XI asked Pope Nicolas V to erect the church as a collegiate church. This was approved in 1449. Major work was carried out in 1449. The bell tower was completed in 1555. In 1567, the town was pillaged by the Baron des Adrets and the church burned down. The choir, apse and bell tower were preserved. Reconstruction began in 1577 and was completed in 1606. A sacristy was added to the south of the chevet in 1638. In 1755, the choir was fitted with a wrought-iron fence, which was moved in 1848. During the French Revolution, the church was used to worship the goddess Reason. Catholic worship was restored in 1802. In 1818, the brick vaulting of the nave and the organ loft were completed. The main facade, dating from the 16th century, features a portal with two semicircular openings framed by three Tuscan columns. A triangular pediment has disappeared above the portal cornice. At the top, the wall is pierced by two flamboyantly framed bays. In 1555, three storeys were added to the bell tower, each with pilasters surmounted by Ionic capitals, an architrave and a cornice. The upper part of the steeple is surrounded by a smooth acroterion with carved stones at the corners. The main nave and two side aisles, dating from the 16th century, were fitted with galleries and openwork bays in molded cement in the mid-19th century. The 16th-century choir features a polygonal apse and ribbed vaulting. The capitals are decorated with animal representations.
The woodwork on the four sideboards of the Montélimar organ is a masterpiece of the Montilien carpenter's firm Gourjon, which designed, built and installed them. The work required some thirty large drawing boards, meticulously designed by Jean Gourjon, an ETP engineer, after compiling extensive documentation on historic organ cases and acquiring a thorough knowledge of organ mechanics and the requirements of organ building.The cases are made of solid Burgundy oak. The sober aesthetic of the façade, chosen by expert organ builder H. Bin, recalls the simplicity that the Louis XIII period replaced the exuberance of the Renaissance, taking great care in the execution of the molding to the detriment of the sculpted decoration.
Spoken languages
- French
Themes
- Religious heritage
- Collegiate church
- Church