Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de La Tranclière, located in the department of Ain, has its origins in the 11th century, with a first church built in the current location. The choir of the present building, in Gothic style with a dogive cross and a stained glass window, was erected between 1450 and 1530. This quadrangular choir houses a stone restitorium and two ancient niches, while a tombstone of the parish priest Donat de la Bastie (died 1717) marks the entrance to the central driveway.

In the 19th century, the church underwent several major changes. An expansion project was launched in 1858, financed in part by a charity concert organized in Paris in 1860 by the MP Léopold Le Hon, earning 1,800 francs. The works, including interior and exterior repairs, were completed in 1864 with a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Belley. The bell tower, destroyed three times (in 1793, destroyed in 1856, bombed in 1944), was rebuilt after each event, with a last restoration in 1948.

The church played a central role in the local parish organization. Until 1818 it was the main church for several villages, including Prin and Certines. After tensions with the inhabitants refusing to join Certines because of the impassable roads in the winter, it became a branch in 1845. Today, it depends on the parish grouping of Pont-d'Ain and houses a variety of furniture, including statues (Jeanne d'Arc, Saint John the Baptist), an octagonal baptismal font probably from a nearby church, and a blessed bell in 1864 under Bishop Gerault of Langalerie.

The furniture and liturgical objects, such as a painting of the Virgin to the Child offered in 1844 or a statue of Bernadette Soubirous, reflect the gifts of parishioners and local personalities. The tombstone of the parish priest Donat de la Bastie, founder of the chapel of the Holy Rosary, and the inscriptions on the bell (mentoring the MP Léopold Le Hon and his family) testify to the historical links between the church, its priests and the notables of the region.

The renovation work continued in the 20th century, with campaigns in 1974-1976 marked by the active participation of the population. These interventions allowed the building to be preserved, while adapting its use to contemporary needs, as evidenced by the regular offices still held today.

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