Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Symphorien d'Illiat, located in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a religious building whose oldest parts date back to the 12th century. From plan to Latin cross, it preserves an apse, a transept and a nave of Romanesque origin, while 12th century murals, representing Saint Mark, the holy women at the tomb and Saint Peter, are among the oldest in the department. These elements demonstrate its historical and artistic importance in the region.

In the 19th century, the church underwent major alterations led by the architect Bossan. The nave is redone in neo-Roman style, and the bell tower is completely rebuilt in a neo-Byzantine style. These changes also included the addition of side chapels in 1836, the extension of the nave, and the construction of a new access staircase in 1876. Unfortunately, these changes resulted in the destruction of the original Romanesque portal and two altars dedicated to Notre-Dame-de-Pitié and Saint-Pancrace.

A paleo-Christian altar of the Ve-VIth centuries, discovered in 1981, attests to a very ancient religious occupation on this site, which rises on a feudal motte. The church, formerly under the archbishop of Lyon, was classified as a historic monument in 2008, protecting the entire building, including its medieval murals and immediate surroundings. It remains today a major architectural and historical testimony of the region.

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