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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Assumption of Our Lady of Morez, erected at the beginning of the nineteenth century, replaces an 18th century building that became too small for the growing population of Morez. In 1810, a plot of land was chosen and leveled, but it was only in 1814 that the architect Denis-Philibert Lapret's project was selected. After his death in 1821, Claude-Marie Dalloz took over the project and substantially modified the plans, notably by replacing the central bell tower with two towers and adding Corinthian columns to the nave. The church was finally consecrated in 1827, dominated by a neo-classical peristyle and a triangular pediment adorned with a clock signed Francis Paget et cie, local manufacturer.

The interior furniture, including the stalls and panellings of the choir, is designed and created by François-Ignace Besand and his son Claude-François Besand, renowned artisans of the region. The organ, dated 1840, is classified as historical monuments, while the heaviest bell, housed in the southern tower, weighs more than three tons. The building, built of white-cut stone, combines false wooden vaults (cabinet for the nave, cul-de-four for the choir) and an initial cover in cast iron tiles, replaced by zinc in 1949 after problems of sealing.

Ranked a historic monument in 2009, the church symbolizes the urban and industrial boom of Morez in the 19th century, then a major watchmaker centre. Its funding, partly from an open public subscription from 1809 to 1820, reflects Community commitment. The changes made by Dalloz, such as the addition of a stand above the sacristies or the enhancement of the porch, met liturgical and aesthetic needs, while integrating technical innovations for the time.

The inscription S: DEIPARAE VIRGINI SACRUM ("Consecrated to the Virgin Mother of God"), engraved above the gate, recalls the religious vocation of the building. Its architecture, combining neo-classical rigor and local details (like the wooden tavaillons under the tiles), makes it a remarkable testimony of the Franco-Mtois heritage, linked to the social and economic history of the city.

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