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Origin and history

The Saint-Étienne-le-Dépenné church, located on Rue Gaudree in Metz, is a former Catholic religious building dating back at least to the twelfth century. Certified as ecclesia Sancti Stephani, it became an independent parish after 1190. The nickname "Le Dépenné" refers to the martyrdom of Pope Stephen I, formerly represented on the tympanum of the entrance door until the Revolution. The nave, pillars and foothills, characteristic of the Gothic style, date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, while altars dedicated to St Thomas and St Nicholas were present in the 16th century.

After the French Revolution, the church lost its cult function in 1791 when its parish was attached to that of Saint-Maximin. The building was then sold, partially demolished (in 1807 for the nave, in 1872 for the bedside), then transformed into a warehouse and house, including a beer store. Despite these changes, its street façade, decorated with three Gothic windows and massive foothills, was classified as a historic monument in 1928. The nave was registered in 1989. A Gallo-Roman funeral stele, embedded in a foothill, adds an archaeological dimension to the site.

The site preserves traces of its turbulent history, notably through an engraving by Israel Silvestre (1667) representing its lost bell tower. Today, the church illustrates the urban transformations of Metz, mixing medieval heritage, industrial reuse and heritage protection. Its location in the Outre-Seille district, close to the church Saint-Maximin, also recalls the old parish organization of the city, attested from the 8th century for neighbouring parishes.

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