Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Memmie de Baconnes, located in the Marne department in the Grand Est region, is dedicated to Memmie de Châlons, saint patron saint local. Ranked a historic monument in 1920, it has a massive structure, built of chalk and stone tiles. Its architecture combines archaic Romanesque elements (XII century) with later additions, such as the vaulted chapels. The nave, devoid of low-sides, is characterized by its simplicity, while the chorus in cul-de-four and the reduced abside reveal a marked Romanesque influence, with windows in full hanger and carved capitals.

The transept rests on four massifs of columns with neat capitals, supporting an atypical cross. The arms of the transept, transformed into small chapels, are illuminated by an oculus and a Romanesque window. The large, crushed bell tower houses a 400 kg bell dating from 1568, engraved with the names of master Thomas Martin (curé), Rémi Charpentie, Domance Francoise Catherine Raulet, and Katrine, probably a donor or a baptized one. These inscriptions testify to the communal anchoring of the building, between worship and village life.

The western gate, sober, is limited to a door in the middle of a hanger surmounted by an oculus, reflecting the austerity of the whole. The bays of the tower, unevenly distributed (geminated to the north, simple elsewhere), emphasize the heterogeneity of the construction campaigns. The building, owned by the municipality, thus embodies eight centuries of religious and architectural history, between Romanesque tradition and local adaptations.

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