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Origin and history

The church of Ecotay-l'Olme came into being in the 12th century, when Bernard d'Écotay, a local baron, erected a castral chapel on the rocky spur of the village. Consecrated in 1217 by the archbishop of Emprun on behalf of Renaud de Forez, it is dedicated to Saint Stephen and is then composed of a Roman nave in cradle and an apse vaulted in cul-de-four, surmounted by a campanile. Three secondary altars are dedicated to St.Marguerite, St.Pancrace and the Holy Spirit. This first building reflects the importance of Écotay, one of the four large baronies of Forez in the Middle Ages, including the parishes of Verrieres and Bard.

In the mid-15th century, the church was enlarged by a northern chapel commissioned by Jean de Lavieu and Marguerite de Balzac d'Entrages, whose coats of arms adorn the vaults. This extension, accessible by a curved door, marks a period of prosperity for the seigneury. The parish of Ecotay, long annex of Verrieres and then Bard, depends spiritually on the latter, whose prior appoints the parish priests and retains the rights of burial. After the Revolution, although Écotay became a civil commune, its inhabitants remained attached to neighbouring parishes for worship.

The major restoration of the 19th century radically changed the building. In 1841, the parish was restored at the request of the municipal council, and Abbé Jean-Marie Georges Rival, appointed parish priest, launched with Mayor Michel Bernard ambitious works. The church, partially collapsed in 1841, is enlarged by a transept and a Western choir, reversing its orientation. A crenellated bell tower capes the new choir, decorated with high reliefs of evangelical animals, while the old apse receives neo-Byzantine paintings today disappeared. The plans were drawn up by the departmental architect Trabucco, and the works, estimated at 4,070 francs in 1842, received in 1854 a gift of 1,000 francs from Empress Eugénie.

The latest modifications include a portal designed by Lassus (1855) and a porch inspired by Viollet-le-Duc (1860), created by architect Favrot. The church, classified as a Historical Monument in 1949, still underwent repairs in the 1950s-1960s: consolidation of the pillars, roof, stained glass windows, and piercing of windows in the choir. This work, led by local artisans such as Jean Forestier or Father Faure, completes to give it its present appearance, mixing Romanesque heritage and neo-medieval additions.

The building thus illustrates nine centuries of history, from its feudal foundation to its renaissance in the 19th century, through phases of abandonment and restoration. Its hybrid architecture — a Romanesque nave, a Gothic chapel, a neo-medieval bell tower — bears witness to the stylistic evolutions and community stakes associated with this place of worship, now owned by the municipality.

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