Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The funeral monument of the Daloz family, located at avenue 5 of the municipal cemetery of Lons-le-Saunier (Jura), was erected after the purchase of a perpetual concession by François Alexis Daloz in 1869. This cemetery, opened in 1842 and expanded to 6 hectares, houses many 19th-century funeral buildings, some of which are classified as Daloz. The chapel, in a neo-Roman style with neo-Byzantine influences, is characterized by a vaulted edicle, two arches on gable columns, and symbolic sculptures (couette and owl on pinacles). Its wrought iron grids and architecture make it a remarkable example of bourgeois funeral art of the time.

The Daloz tomb is part of a series of burials of local notables, reflecting the social and economic importance of these families in Lons-le-Saunier. The cemetery, on a gentle slope with terraces, retains a stylistic diversity combining neoclassicism (Lelièvre Chapel), Gothic (Dayce Tomb), and military monuments (Obelisk of the Chief of Squadron Boudier). Ranked a historic monument in 2013, the Daloz monument also illustrates the evolution of funeral practices in the 19th century, where architectural ostentation was used to display social status.

The local historical context is marked by a prosperous bourgeoisie, active in trade, crafts (such as the sculptor Bourgeois, whose tomb is also classified), and administration. Cemeteries become places of collective memory, combining tributes to civil and military elites. The recent restoration of the military square (108 graves) and the preservation of funeral buildings highlight the heritage value of the site, today a place of walking and meditation.

The inscription of the Daloz monument in 2013 is part of a policy of protecting the Frankish funeral heritage, recognizing the artistic and historical quality of these buildings. The chapel, which is owned by the commune, is accessible to the public, although its exact location (alternate 5, tomb 48) is documented in the archives of the Merimée base. Its decor, combining animal symbolism and medieval architectural references, makes it a unique testimony to the eclectic tastes of the time.

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