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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Privat de Salonnes, located in the village of the same name in Moselle, is a religious building of elongated plan, built in the 15th century. It is distinguished by its absence of transept, its three ceiling vessels and its five-sided choir, vaulted with warheads. The side tower, covered with a slate polygonal arrow, and the roof in mechanical tiles of the nave and choir complete its architecture. The building, built of coated bellows, features angle chains and a stone base. Its yellow limestone portal of Jaumont, decorated with Gothic sculptures, is a remarkable element preserved despite subsequent reconstructions.

Founded in the eighth century as a prioral church to house the relics of Saint Privat, Bishop of Mende, and Saint Hilaire, it was rebuilt around 1540-1550, probably after destructions related to the war of the saline at the end of the fourteenth century. Destroyed again during the Thirty Years War, it was completely rebuilt between 1749 and 1750, with the exception of the Gothic portal, under the direction of the architects of the chapter of the Primatiale of Nancy and the entrepreneur François Collin de Vic-sur-Seille. A major restoration campaign, conducted between 1904 and 1907 by architect Henri Klein and entrepreneur Viktor Marchand, modernizes its interior plaster decor, adding roses, composite capitals and a triumphal arch.

The church gate, the only Gothic vestige preserved in situ, is classified as Historic Monument by order of 24 October 1929. This yellow limestone portal illustrates the Gothic style with its decorative sculptures. The restorations of the twentieth century mainly concerned interior design, with ceilings decorated with roses and pillars surmounted by composite capitals. This work marked the last major transformation of the building, preserving its historical character while adapting it to modern cultural needs.

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