Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Villars-Saint-Marcellin, located a few kilometers from Bourbonne-les-Bains in Haute-Marne, dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. In a Romanesque style for its choir and bell tower, it is distinguished by an enigmatic tympanum, carved from a single stone engraved with mysterious motifs (paste crosses, animals, checker). Some elements, such as a re-used Celtic stone, suggest a much older origin. The cross of the choir, rare in eastern France, already announces Gothic architecture.

The crypt, classified in 1846 with the choir and tympanum, is a sober space illuminated by slit windows. Its twelve alternating pillars (hexagonal and circular) could symbolize the Apostles, although two are superfluous structurally. At the bottom, a double sarcophagus would house the relics of St Marcellin, patron saint of the church. A local legend attributes to this sarcophagus miraculous virtues against headaches for anyone who introduces his head.

The choir, rectangular (8.60 m x 4 m), is extended by a cul-de-four apse painted in sky blue, adorned with stars and illuminated by a coarse rosette. The nave, rebuilt in the 18th century after a fire caused by the Swedes during the Thirty Years' War (1636), contrasts with the old Romanesque structure. The bell tower, accessible by a spiral turret, has an atypical arrow. The altar of the sixteenth century supports a classified Virgin of Mercy, with erroneous anatomical details (deformed legs of Christ).

Classified as a Historical Monument on request by Prosper Mérimée (1846 for crypt, 1909 for choir and tympanum), the church illustrates the transition between Romanesque and Gothic. Its tympanum, with indecipherable symbols (goat, fantastic animal, chain), and its crypt with enigmatic pillars make it an artistic, religious and legendary site, anchored in local history and popular beliefs.

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