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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines Cemetery is a historic monument located in the Haut-Rhin department in the Grand Est region. It is associated with a chapel dating from the 13th century, vestige of the first Catholic church in the city, dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. This site, partially destroyed in the 18th century, today retains remarkable architectural elements, such as a vaulted choir and a nave added later. The chapel, classified in 1934, illustrates the evolution of local religious heritage, between medieval heritage and modern transformations.

The present chapel consists of two adjoining buildings: the old choir, whose roof is perpendicular to that of the nave, and a lower structure serving as a nave. The walls, reinforced by foothills, have characteristic openings like a bay in the middle of the hanger decorated with a quadrilobe and trilobed lancets. Inside, the choir opens with an arch in the middle of a hanger and houses a dogid vault falling on carved caps. A bell, operated by a rope, is housed in a wooden campanile. These architectural elements combine Gothic and Neo-Gothic styles, reflecting successive restorations, including those of 1888-1889 and 1992.

The history of the site is marked by its initial function of parish church, which became insufficient in the 18th century. In 1756, part of the building was destroyed to build the new church of Sainte-Madeleine, located on Rue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny. However, the medieval choir was preserved and integrated into the current chapel. Around it remain some funeral monuments, last testimonies of the original cemetery, now disappeared. The site, owned by the municipality, remains a place of memory and heritage, open to the visit.

The monumental paintings of the choir, restored in 1992, underwent alterations that partially distorted their original appearance. The exterior of the chapel, painted in 1980, retains a sober appearance, contrasting with the richness of the interior details. The location of the monument, Rue du Droit-Muhlenbeck, and its approximate address (8 A Bellevue) make it a point of interest in the urban landscape of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. Its inscription in the historical monuments in 1934 underlines its heritage importance in the Alsace region and the Haut-Rhin department.

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