Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of Corcieux, attested from the Middle Ages, was partially destroyed by fire in November 1944. Only the tower and the 18th century stair tower survived. The old church, dating from the 14th century with redevelopments in the 17th and 19th centuries, had a three-vessel building structure, a polygonal choir and sandstone columns. His baptismal fonts and the altar of Saint Catherine bore witness to his medieval history.

After World War II, a temporary prefabricated church was erected in 1946, adjacent to the preserved porch tower. The definitive reconstruction began in 1955 under the direction of architect Marcel Texier. The first stone was laid on September 17, 1955, and the building was blessed in 1957 before being consecrated in 1963. The new church, in stoneware and metal frame, adopts a T-shaped plan with a unique vessel and a bedside decorated with a rose.

The ancient church, before its destruction, combined Gothic elements (octogonal columns, 14th century choir) and baroque additions (porch tower of 1713 by Giovan Betto, 19th century plaster vaults). The peg tower, with four levels surmounted by a lantern bulb, remains the most emblematic vestige of the past. The basement of the new church houses a chapel, catechism rooms and technical facilities, reflecting its adaptation to modern parish needs.

The post-war reconstruction illustrates the resilience of the local community, with a building combining tradition (reuse of the tower) and modernity (light concrete structure, metal frame). The site, located at 540 meters above sea level in the Vosges, thus retains historical continuity despite the destructions, while marking the architectural and liturgical evolution of the twentieth century.

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