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Origin and history

The church of Saint John Baptist of Chaveyriat, built in the 12th century, is a Romanesque architectural testimony marked by the influence of Cluny Abbey. As early as the 10th century, the site belonged to local lords such as Letgerius, before being ceded to Cluny in 975 by Roclene, a donation confirmed by the Archbishop of Lyon Bertrand (977) and Pope Gregory V (998). The Clunisian monks established a priory there and probably rebuilt the church around the first half of the 12th century, as evidenced by the canned pilasters of the abside, typical of their style. The building, cited in 1158 during a translation of relics, was a major religious centre in the region.

Over the centuries, the church experienced degradation and transformation. As early as the 14th century, Clunisian visitors reported the precarious state of the covers, while in the 17th century the nave was covered only with an apparent structure and the choir housed altars dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin. The bell tower, originally located between the nave and the abside, was moved on an indeterminate date before 1760, then partially destroyed during the Revolution (1794) before collapsing in 1814, crushing the sacristy. Reconstructed between 1842 and 1843, it now dominates the building with its 30 meters high and its three bells, the oldest of which dates back to 1855.

The gothic façade, preceded by a gallonière (wood porch) dated 1474 by dendrochronology, was restored in 1978, revealing 15th century murals, including a Pietà with donors. These frescoes, rediscovered between 1994 and 1997, adorn the upper part of the walls. The nave, 10.20 metres wide and 31.5 metres long with the choir, was removed in 2003 from its false ceiling of 1867, restoring the visibility of its original structure. The cul-de-four vaulted L-abside has six columns, reflecting the clunisian heritage. Ranked a historic monument in 1947, the church remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Ain.

The buildings of the priory, adjoining the church until the 18th century, housed areas of charity such as bread distributions to the poor. Two rooms, one communicating with the church through a door today condemned, were demolished around 1765. In the 19th century, important works modernized the building: painting of the facade in 1852, laying of a tile in 1867, and restoration of the bell tower in 1842-1843. In 1991, an external raid and the replacement of the summital cock completed the last major interventions, preserving this heritage for future generations.

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