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Origin and history

The Collège Saint-Maur d'Hattonchâtel, located in the Meuse department, is an ancient Gothic parish church built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It is distinguished by its partially preserved cloister and an adjacent fortification tower, integrated with the city walls. The building houses an exceptional polychrome altarpiece, attributed to Ligier Richier or his workshop, representing scenes of the Passion of Christ. This retable, dated 1523, is considered one of the major works of the Renaissance in Lorraine, both in its dimensions (2.60 m x 1.60 m) and in its artistic quality.

Founded in 1328 by Henri d'Apremont, the college was initially a religious institution with ten canons and an archdeacon, led by a dean. As an episcopal residence in the ninth century, Hattonchâtel lost his status as a collegiate in 1707, when his income, considered insufficient, led to his transfer to Saint-Léopol de Saint-Mihiel. The church choir, protruding on the fortifications, testifies to its integration into the medieval defensive system, with direct access from the right bottom side.

The cloister, once made up of three galleries, now only holds two, one of which rests on the village walls. During the First World War, the altarpiece was moved by the Germans to Metz, under the pretext of conservation, before being returned. Ranked a historical monument in 1908 with its cloister, the collegiate church illustrates both Gothic religious architecture and Renaissance lorrain art, marked by the influence of Ligier Richier.

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