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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint Lawrence church of Ornans, dedicated to Laurent de Rome, finds its origins in the 12th century with a first Romanesque construction of which only the base of the bell tower remains today. This primitive building, marked by windows mowed in the middle of the wall, was repeatedly devastated and burned before being rebuilt between 1546 and 1553. The works, funded by Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, kept the seals of Charles Quint, concerned in particular the nave, the choir and the lateral chapels. The consecration of the new building took place on 11 October 1572, after the tower had been rebuilt in 1564 by the same family.

In the 17th century, a porch with various arcades was added in front of the main entrance, while in 1735, the tower was raised with an imperial roof. The interior furniture, rich and remarkable, dates mainly from the seventeenth century, with a high altar and its altarpiece carved by Jean Gauthier in 1665. The works come in part from the local convents dismantled during the Revolution, such as the reliquary shawls of the faithful and Columbus saints or the paintings depicting Saint Michael and Saint Ursula. The tomb of Pierre Perrenot, father of Nicolas, died in 1537, is also preserved in a chapel.

Ranked a historic monument in 1931, the church combines a variety of architectural elements: a three-sided Gothic apse, a nave covered with lashes, and a comtos dome overtaking the bell tower. Subsequent changes, such as the elevation of the ground in 1836 or the reshuffle of the choir in 1859, testify to its continuous evolution. The building, owned by the commune, remains a symbol of the religious and artistic heritage of Franche-Comté.

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