Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Laurent des Vigneaux, located in the Hautes-Alpes, dates from the 15th century, although its bell tower seems to go up around 1300. It is distinguished by its unique architecture: a vaulted nave in a broken cradle, a staggered ogival choir, and an arched porch. His frescoes, including an exterior illustrating vices and their punishments, as well as his wooden door decorated with a chimera-head lock, bear witness to a rich artistic heritage. The building also houses a rare mechanical clock with a needle, recently restored.

From the end of the 12th century, the Augustinians of Oulx owned the churches Beate Marie de Vinealibus and Sancti Laurenti, until the 14th century. St. Lawrence Church was already a parish in 1412. The bell tower, typical of the region, would have been built around 1300. Work was attested in 1552 (paintings of the porch) and 1653 (addition of sacristy, dated by an inscription). Ranked a historical monument in 1913, it combines Romanesque elements (pink marble door) and Gothic elements (ogival vaults, tuff arches).

The building, a communal property, is characterized by various materials: tuff for arches and warheads, limestone for corner chains, and pink marble for the gate. Its square bell tower, crowned by an octagonal arrow, dominates a nave unaxed from the west facade. The interior paintings, limited to a false apparatus, contrast with the sculptural richness of the buttock capitals. The structure reflects the influences of the diocese of Embrun, notably through its archvolt portal.

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