Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of Châtillon-de-Cornelle, located in the department of Ain in Boyeux-Saint-Jérôme, is the last vestige of the castle that once dominated the passage between the Cerdon valley and the plains of Jujurieux. This small cross-shaped building of Saint-Antoine, built in 1516, is distinguished by its flamboyant Gothic architecture: cross of warheads, prismatic columns, and partially preserved stained glass windows. Its open portal and filled windows contrast with the sobriety of its facades, while a recent triangular pediment slightly alters its original harmony.

Inside, the chapel reveals an unexpected decoration for a mountain building: horns carved from anthropomorphic or blazoned figures, and finely worked column bases. The lauze roof, which was rebuilt around 1960 under the aegis of the General Council, caused problems of humidity due to poorly performed work. Today, the municipality is actively looking after the preservation of this heritage, while the 16th and 17th century statues were sheltered in a communal building.

Historically, the chapel is linked to the Barony of Châtillon-de-Cornelle, mentioned from the twelfth century. This fief, held successively by the sires of Coligny (circa 1200), the lords of La Tour-du-Pin, then the Dauphins, was ceded in 1337 to Humbert VI de Thoire-Villars. After a fire in 1445, the castle was partially restored before being permanently abandoned in the 18th century. The chapel, for its part, was listed as a historic monument in 1986, bearing witness to its heritage importance.

The site occupied a strategic position, controlling a passage between the Cerdon Valley and surrounding lands. The baronnie, in all justice, changed hands several times: sold in 1395 to the knight Perceval de Moyria, she passed in 1777 to Marc-Antoine Trollier, former president of finance of Lyon. Today, the chapel remains a rare example of seigneurial religious architecture in this mountainous region, mixing medieval and Renaissance influences.

External links