Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Michel de Morbier, built in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century, replaces a medieval building deemed too small and unhealthy. By 1827, Fabrique's council had been considering a new place of worship, but it was the modification of the route of the royal road in 1832 that accelerated the project by making the demolition of the old church inevitable. The prefect validated the final location on December 21, 1833, and architect Joseph-Marie Dalloz — inspired by the church of Morez and the neo-classical model of Saint-Philippe du Roule — wrote the plans in May 1834. The works began quickly, with a major revision in 1838: the bell towers, originally planned with a pediment, were finally capped with domes to lantern, an architectural signature still visible today.

The reception of the works took place in 1839, marking the completion of a building combining neoclassicism (cradle vaults, doric colonnade) and functionality (deambulatory on a floor, low side in appentis). The interiors, designed by Claude-François Besand and realized by his father François-Ignace Besand (sculptor-doreur), integrate stalls, retables and pulpit to preach in harmony with architecture. In 1877, repairs were entrusted to Auguste Comoy to restore the domes of the bell towers, damaged by time. The church, registered with the Historical Monuments in 2009, illustrates the evolution of cultural needs and constructive techniques in the 19th century in the Jura.

The building is distinguished by its symmetrical facade framed by two dome bell towers in metal scale, topped by lanterns. The central vessel, which is higher than the lower side, is protected by a sheet metal core to the south, while the choir and the walkway adopt a rounded rump. Inside, false caisson vaults decorated with painted motifs and doric supports highlight neo-classical influence. The pediment clock, centered between the bell towers, recalls the civic importance of the church, the heart of community life in Morbier for nearly two centuries.

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