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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church, located in Jassans-Riottier, Ain, is a neo-Roman building built between 1863 and 1864. It was designed by architect Jean-Etienne Giniez at the request of Benoît Poncet, who wished to transfer the burial of his only son, Claudius, who died in 1850 at the age of 16. The first stone was laid on December 8, 1862, and the church was completed in October 1864, with official consecration on May 30, 1865. Its architecture, inspired by the Romanesque style, includes a 42-metre arrow, an octagonal dome porch, and side chapels.

The church was financed entirely by Benedict Poncet, who made it a funerary monument for his son. The work involved local artisans, including the entrepreneur Michel Malterre, mentioned on one of the bells. In 1933, the bell tower arrow and the roof of the transepts were restored by Pierre Perron, following the plans of the Lyon architect C. M. Gaillard. A final restoration (roof and bell tower) took place in 1986. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1996.

The church is characterized by its elongated symmetrical plane, its anterior massif with bell tower-poach, and its arched apses in cul-de-four. The materials used include Cruas Stone (Ardèche) for columns and limestone for walls, while roofs combine mechanical tiles, flat tiles and zinc. The funerary chapel of the Pontet, adjacent to the north apse, still houses the burial of Claudius.

The esplanade in front of the façade, accessible by a peaper of 17 arches, highlights the monumental importance of the building. The entrance, framed with square and round columns in Cruas stone, supports a triangular pediment. The interior, of neo-Roman style, reflects Benoît Poncet's desire to create a place at once religious and memorial, lastingly marking the local landscape.

Today, the church remains an architectural testimony of the 19th century, mixing Romanesque heritage and technical innovations of the time. Its inscription in historical monuments in 1996 recognizes its heritage value, both for its family history and for its aesthetic and structural qualities.

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