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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Crémieu, located in the Isère department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a former chapel of the Augustinian monastery, founded in the early fourteenth century. Ranked a historic monument in 1907, it is distinguished by its church-hall architecture and its exceptional collection of Augustinian paintings made at the end of the Middle Ages. These frescoes, rediscovered during recent restorations, illustrate major themes of Augustinian spirituality, such as the double Apostolic and prophetic Creed, making this place a unique witness to medieval religious art in France.

The construction of the church began in 1317 under the impulse of John II, a dolphin of Vienna, who founded a priory for about ten hermits of Saint Augustine. The building, integrated with the walls of the medieval city, underwent many changes over the centuries: the addition of a bell tower in 1508, the redevelopment of the cloister and gate in the seventeenth century, and the transformation of the chapel into a parish church after the French Revolution, when the buildings were awarded to the municipality in 1791. The building also houses the oldest organ in the department of Isère, mentioned since 1785 in The chronicle Ollivet.

Architecturally, the church is characterized by a single-nave rectangular plan, a flat bedside integrated with fortifications, and neo-Gothic vaults replacing an original walled ceiling. The murals, dated from the end of the 14th century, cover about twenty scenes and constitute an unparalleled pictorial ensemble in the French Augustinian convents. The furniture, including 17th century walnut stalls, and the gardens of the old cloister, accessible to the public, complete this remarkable heritage. The church remains today an active place of worship, managed by the parish of Saint-Martin de l'Isle Crémieu and open to the visit.

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