Church of Saint Martin of Borey en Haute-Saône

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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin church of Borey, built in the eighteenth century according to the canons of the classical style, embodies the wave of reconstruction of religious buildings in Franche-Comté after its attachment to France in 1678. It replaces a 12th century church, dependent on the abbey of Marast, of which few traces remain, with the exception of a chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine, the burial place of the lords of Borrey. A carved head, a possible vestige of early construction, is now inserted into a wall of the village.

The reconstruction of the church, initiated in 1779, was made possible by an order of Colbert (1669) allowing the exploitation of local forests to finance public buildings. Curés Ferdinand Alix (uncle and nephew) supervised the work, entrusting the design to the Dolois architect Anatole Amoudru, author of more than 60 churches in Franche-Comté. The stone was extracted from an open quarry in the woods of the Newet, and the building was consecrated in 1781 by Bishop Claude-Ignace Franchet de Rans.

The church, of classic design, is distinguished by its bulbous roof bell tower, typical of the region, and houses 19th century woodwork designed by Christophe Colard. His treasures include paintings by Johann Melchior Wyrsch, founder of the Besançon School of Painting, as well as tombstones from local noble families, such as the Tranchant de La Verne. Two bells, one of which was recast in 1848, still animated the bell tower, despite the loss of a bell in 1794 for revolutionary needs.

The site, located on an ancient route between Vallerois-le-Bois and Montjustin, bears witness to an ancient Christian occupation, perhaps dating back to the Merovingian period, as suggested by its title dedicated to St Martin. A paleo-Christian church discovered in Chassey-les-Montbozon, 12 km away, confirms the presence of Christian communities as early as the fifth century. The present building, restored in the 1970s, remains a symbol of faith and local history.

The archives mention the theft of the relics of the Holy Cross in 1785, authenticated by a letter from the bishop of Porphyra. These relics, now missing, recall the spiritual importance of the place. The 19th century stained glass windows, signed by Joseph Beyer, and the altarpieces of the lateral chapels, dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Barbe, complete this artistic and religious heritage.

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