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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Joseph-aux-Bassots Chapel, located in Villers-le-Lac in the Doubs, is an emblematic religious building of the Counter-Reform in the Franco-Swiss border region. Built between 1682 and 1690 on the initiative of Claude Binétruy les Veuves and Isabelle du Corral del Pignero, it embodies the Baroque architecture of France, with a unique nave and a vaulted choir. Its bell tower, added in 1703, dominates the landscape with its dome at the imperial level, characteristic of the local churches of the period.

Inside, the chapel houses exceptional liturgical furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries, including cibories, statues, paintings and altars, some of which are classified as historical monuments. This heritage reflects the artistic richness and devotion of the border communities, marked by the religious tensions of the time. The chapel, listed in the 1979 inventory of historical monuments, remains a major testimony of the religious and architectural history of Franche-Comté.

Its rectangular plan, oriented northeast, and its interior decorations (painted ceiling, Tuscan pilasters) highlight the influence of artistic currents of the Counter-Reform. The sacristy, added in the 18th century, completes this set, while the registration of the foundation recalls the original donors. Today a communal property, the chapel continues to play a cultural and heritage role in the Land of Montbéliard.

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