Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Maximin church of Metz, located 68 rue Mazelle in the Outre-Seille district, is a Catholic building dedicated to Maximin de Trier (died 347). Its construction runs from the 12th to the 15th century, with a choir, a cross of transept and a square bell tower typical of Romanesque art. The nave, added in the 15th century, illustrates the transition to Gothic. In the 18th century, a baroque portal replaced the old ogival gate, marking a stylistic evolution.

The chapel of the Louves et des Gournay, erected in 1365 thanks to the gift of Poinsignon Dieu Amy, is home to a significant event: on October 24, 1658, Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet pronounced a funeral prayer for Henry de Gournay. This cultural place also becomes an exceptional artistic setting in the 20th century. Between 1962 and the 1970s, Jean Cocteau designed 14 bay windows (24 windows), made posthumously by the workshop Briere. These stained glass windows, inspired by ancestral art and shamanism, prefigure movements like Color Field Painting and influence artists like Keith Haring.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1923, the church also houses large organs built in 1969 by Haerpfer Erman, restored in 2010 in a baroque spirit. Its acoustics make it a privileged place for concerts. In 2013, Metz inaugurated a place Jean Cocteau near the church, celebrating his last masterpiece. The site is listed among the must-see places by Atlas Obscura, highlighting its international cultural influence.

Cocteau's stained glass windows, centered on themes such as immortality and communion between man and nature, are inspired by his collaboration with Picasso and his interest in the early arts. The central stained glass window, representing an ornament with raised arms, evokes shamanic rituals and announces motifs taken from Street Art. The work, completed after his death in 1963, was supervised by his adopted son Edward Dermit and his cartonmaker Jean Dedieu.

The church also maintains a reliquary of St Maximin and remains active for worship. Its history reflects the artistic and religious strata of Metz, from the Romanesque period to contemporary art, including figures such as Bossuet and Cocteau. Its ranking and fame make it a major heritage of the Great East.

External links