Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Anatoile Church of Salins-les-Bains came into being in the sixth century, when a chapel was built on the tomb of Saint Anatoile, a Scottish hermit of the fifth century. This sacred place, originally dedicated to Saint Symphorian and Saint Agathe, became a collegiate place in 1024 under the impulse of Hugues I of Salins. The chapel was replaced in the 13th century by the present building, built under the reign of John I of Chalon, the powerful lord of the region.

In the 13th century, the church was built in Burgundian Gothic style, including fourteen tapestries telling the life of Saint Anatoile, made between 1502 and 1506 in Bruges. Stolen during the Revolution, only three of these tapestries remain today, preserved at the Louvre Museum. The building was classified as a historic monument in 1846 by Prosper Mérimée, recognizing its exceptional heritage value.

The facade of the church is distinguished by a carved wooden Romanesque portal, framed by two 16th century Gothic chapels. The massive bell tower, an old tower attached to the church in 1699, was rebuilt in 1838 after a fire in 1826. Inside, the walnut stalls, carved at the end of the 15th century, were classified in 1907. The organ, whose instrumental part was built by Joseph Merklin between 1866 and 1880, has a buffet dating from 1737, classified as a historical monument.

Saint-Anatoile Church is also marked by the commitment of local scholars such as Désiré Monnier, who studied and drew the stalls in 1842. He wrote a historical and artistic memory of the building, contributing to its heritage recognition. The organ, restored in 2013, demonstrates the continuity of efforts to preserve this emblematic monument of Salins-les-Bains.

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