Request to build a chapel 1514 (≈ 1514)
Permission requested from the chapter of Lyon.
1614
First mention as parish church
First mention as parish church 1614 (≈ 1614)
Annex of the church of Frans (Diocese of Lyon).
1711
State of ruin reported
State of ruin reported 1711 (≈ 1711)
Need major repairs.
1787
End of 18th century repairs
End of 18th century repairs 1787 (≈ 1787)
Restored gate, frame and bell tower.
1821
Erection in Vicarial Chapel
Erection in Vicarial Chapel 1821 (≈ 1821)
By royal ordinance.
1836
Construction of a new bell tower
Construction of a new bell tower 1836 (≈ 1836)
Add a sacristy.
1842
Become church branch
Become church branch 1842 (≈ 1842)
High ecclesiastical status.
1847
Launch of the reconstruction project
Launch of the reconstruction project 1847 (≈ 1847)
Dupasquier plans ordered.
1855
Completion of the present church
Completion of the present church 1855 (≈ 1855)
Revival Gothic style by Dupasquier.
1996
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1996 (≈ 1996)
Protection of interior decor.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Interior decor including painted decor, stained glass windows, cross path, church floor and porch decor (cad. A 50): by order of 1 February 1996
Key figures
Louis-Gaspard Dupasquier - Architect
Designer of the present church (1855).
Léonard Cadet - Entrepreneur
Work was carried out (1847-1855).
Michel Ballet - Master entrepreneur
Author of the 1784 estimate.
Origin and history
The church of Saint-François-d It replaces an old parish church, mentioned in 1614 as an annex to the church of Frans, whose state was degrading to the point of threatening ruin in 1711. The repairs undertaken in 1787 (gate, frame, bell tower) were not enough to save the original building, leading to its complete reconstruction.
The current construction, oriented and vaulted, was designed by architect Louis-Gaspard Dupasquier on the site of the old church and part of the adjoining cemetery. The project, adjoined to the entrepreneur Léonard Cadet in 1847, includes a three-span nave, a salient transept sheltering the chapels of the Virgin and Saint Francis, as well as an elevated choir extended from an apse to five sections. The interior, entirely decorated with murals, marouflage canvases and stained glass windows (character or decorative), reflects a successful neo-Gothic style. The ground, tiled with geometric motifs, and the decorated porch complete this remarkable ensemble, inscribed in historical monuments in 1996 for its interior decoration.
However, the history of the site dates back long before the 19th century: as early as 1514, the inhabitants of Beauregard sought the chapter of Lyon to erect a chapel with baptismal fonts, a tabernacle and a cemetery. This first chapel, which became parish church, was attested in the pastoral visits of the diocese of Lyon in 1614. After partial works in the 18th century (including a new bell tower and a sacristy in 1836), the building was finally erected as a vicarial chapel in 1821, then as a branch church in 1842, before its total reconstruction in the 1850s.
Today, the Church of St. Francis-d-Assisi illustrates both the architectural evolution of rural religious buildings and the richness of 19th century decorative heritage. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments specifically focuses on the interior decoration (paintings, stained glass, cross road, ground) and the porch, highlighting their exceptional heritage value.
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