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Origin and history

The Chapelle Haute de Saint-Quirin, located on a hill west of the village, is a sandstone building dating mainly from the 13th and 18th centuries. Its unique nave, pierced with six bays in the middle of the skin and covered with flat tiles, ends with a flat bedside decorated with two lancette berries. The tower-clocher, partially hors-oeuvre, has a roof in a pavilion surmounted by a Latin cross. Inside, the wooden flat vaulted nave contrasts with the raised chorus, arched dogives falling back on leafed capital columns. An engraved date, "1901", marks a major restoration.

The history of the chapel is linked to the translation of the relics of Saint Quirin, Roman martyr, brought in 1049 by Geppa, sister of Pope Leo IX. According to tradition, a first chapel was erected in the 11th century at the location where the mule carrying the relics stopped. The current building, redesigned over the centuries, preserves 13th century elements, including the bedside and the bell tower. The windows of the nave date from the 18th century, as mentioned in the canonical visit of 1714.

Two major restorations marked the 20th century: in 1901, then around 1965 under the direction of Abbé Schiesser and architect Litzelburger. This last intervention revealed the interior structure by removing the coating and laying a floor. The chapel, a place of pilgrimage, once hosted five annual translations from the parish church, during religious festivals such as the Ascension or the last Sunday of August.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1986, the chapel now belongs to the commune of Saint-Quirin. Its hybrid architecture, combining primitive Gothic and Baroque additions, bears witness to its evolution according to liturgical needs and local devotions. Historical sources, such as the works of R.S. Bour or Schmitt, underline its central role in the religious heritage of Lorraine.

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