Église Sainte-Euphémie

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

In the Middle Ages, the history of Sainte Euphémie unfolds between the lords of Chabeu and Thoire-et-Villars. The parish depended on Ile Barbe and the metropolitan chapter of Lyon. From this period survived a priory church with a single nave until 1864. This one, already altered by then, seemed to be in very poor condition justifying its destruction in favour of a new building. A letter from the bishop of Belley to the prefect, dated 13 May 1870, requests assistance, citing dilapidation, a subscription from the inhabitants and the account of materials extracted from the remains of the old church that could be used for the new one. The count of Cibeins made a gift of land situated on the other side of the present town hall, further east by about fifty metres. Two other small plots were purchased in 1873. The chosen architect was Jean-Marie-Emile Thoubillon (born in Poncin on 6 May 1831 and died on 6 April 1892). Student of Tony Desjardins at the beginning of his career, he subsequently worked for Flechet, Dardel, again for Desjardins and finally for Hirsch until 1890. He was admitted to the Academic Society of Architecture of Lyon in 1877. He would undertake about ten churches in Ain, as well as civil buildings. Jean-Baptiste Faugeron, contractor, carried out the work under his direction. The work took place in 1874 and 1875. The new church was received on 30 August 1875. Choir demolished in 1967 then rebuilt: removed from the inventory.

Description

The plan is in the form of a Latin cross with a semi-circular chevet. The general appearance of the building is relatively common in the region: a square porch tower surmounted by a square slate spire. However, one can note the particular care taken in the stonework; composed essentially of golden stone from Lucenay in regular courses, it is enhanced by corner chains and buttresses in light stone from Saint-Martin. The arches of the openings are adorned with alternating voussoirs in red stone from Cruas. The entrance opening, accessible by a step, in the "neo-Romanesque" style is round-headed, framed by two columns with Corinthian capitals and surmounted by a sculpted tympanum, intended to represent Sainte Euphémie, but whose iconography is similar to that usually used for Sainte Blandine surrounded by lions. Two doors close the entrance; each is decorated with two large hinges in leaf motifs. The entrance is surmounted by an opening in the same style, then on the top floor of the bell tower, by two twin openings fitted with wooden louvres. On the façade, four loopholes punctuate the lateral wings around the porch tower. Access is made by the porch tower which opens onto an ante-nave; it houses a baptistry in the neo-Gothic style and the staircase leading to the floors of the bell tower. The baptismal space, protected by a wrought iron grille, is lit by three stained-glass windows from Paquier-Sarrasin: a simple floral window to the south and those of two twin openings in the west wall depicting the baptism of Jesus. The baptistry is in red marble surmounted by a gilded metal cover. A lavatory is closed by a wooden door with Gothic tracery. The first floor of the bell tower forms a gallery overlooking the nave and decorated with a stained-glass window representing the Virgin, the Child and Joseph. The loopholes and oculi of the bell tower are decorated with similar stained-glass windows, blue, white and red. The wooden door with two leaves of the round-headed opening giving access to the nave is surmounted by a tympanum of joinery inlaid with stained glass. The single nave consists of three bays with rib vaults and separated by round arches resting on columns of red marble with Corinthian capitals. The bays are each lit on either side by round-headed openings with stained glass of identical patterns for each bay as for the transept. The decoration consists of joinery on the aisles surmounted by bands of painting, imitation stone and stencilling; the vaults are also decorated with stencilling in pale blue tones. In the lateral chapels are altars of white marble, one dedicated to the Virgin to the west and the other to Sainte Euphémie to the east. Attached to the transept are the sacristy to the east and a technical room to the west. The interior has been fitted out in a neo-medieval style, but clearly neo-Byzantine for the choir where colours alternate in blue, gold and white tones. The painted decorations were carried out by Claude Barriot (1846-1908) who painted 16 saints and Christian martyrs arranged above the stalls distributed in a semi-circle under the half-dome. The figures are turned towards Christ depicted in the stained glass of the central opening, to his right, in the west stained glass, the Virgin and to his left, in the east stained glass, Sainte Euphémie holding a sheaf of wheat. He also signed the canvas mounted on the west chapel representing Euphémie distributing bread to the poor. The stained-glass windows of the church were made in the workshops of Henri Paquier and Sarrasin in Lyon. The floor of the church is covered with moulded and coloured cement tiles. The patterns change in each division, but always maintain the tones of blue, white and brown throughout the building.