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Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne de Condrieu church, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is an emblematic monument of the village, located in the Rhône department. It is now dependent on the parish of Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, attached to the Archdiocese of Lyon and entrusted to the Incarnate Institute of the Word. Its history dates back at least to the fifth century, with a first attested mention, but it was in the thirteenth century that a Gothic church was erected, whose tympanum, decorated with scenes of the Supper and Crucifixion, was classified as historical monuments in 1926.

The building has undergone many changes over the centuries. In 1562, Protestants ravaged the church, causing its reconstruction in 1588. In the 18th century, in 1758, the three naves were rearranged and a new bell tower was raised. The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1790 the parish priest refused to take the oath of the Constitution, causing the church to be closed and the convent to be nationalized. The current organs, dating back to 1905, originally came from the church of Saint-Pierre-des-Terreaux in Lyon, built by Joseph Merklin before being transferred to Condrieu.

The church gate, with its Romanesque and Gothic tympanum, was protected by a registration order in 1926. This monument thus reflects the architectural and religious evolutions of the region, from its medieval origins to its modern transformations. Today, there remains an active place of worship and a witness to the local historical heritage, managed by the commune of Condrieu.

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