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Origin and history

The funeral chapel of the Laborde family is a Catholic building located in the Jean Gautherin cemetery in Nevers, Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Built in the fourth quarter of the 19th century (circa 1886), it is distinguished by its neo-Byzantine architecture, marked by a centered plan, an imposing dome and four bell towers. Its materials, washes of Volvic and bronze, as well as its dome made by the Nivernais founder Pecard, make it a remarkable monument. The stained glass windows, created in 1901 by Clermontese master glassmaker Adrien Baratte, add to his artistic singularity.

The chapel, now in poor condition and maintained by boards, was listed as a historical monument on 30 April 1999. Designed according to the plans of the architect Massilon de Rouvet, it illustrates the influence of 19th-century eclectic styles in funeral art. Its present state raises questions about its preservation, while testifying to the heritage importance of family chapels in the French cemeteries of that time.

Owned by the municipality of Nevers, the chapel is located in square 12 of the cemetery (park AL 12). Its exact address, 38 Rue Jean Gautherin, and its registration in the general inventory (Mérimée base) make it a key element of the Nivernais heritage. The monument also reflects the bourgeois funeral practices of the late 19th century, where architectural ostentation was used to honour the deceased and to display a social status.

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