Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens de Percey-le-Grand, located in the Haute-Saône department, was rebuilt between 1785 and 1790 in a typical 18th century style. It replaces an older building, attested as early as 1248 as the parish of the dean of Champlitte, dependent on the diocese of Langres. Its three-nave church-hall style interior architecture incorporates notable furniture elements, including benches and a 17th-century canvas transferred from the former Saint-Amatre church in Langres in 1790. These objects, like the famous canvas of John Tassel representing the Liberation of St Peter, highlight his artistic and religious heritage.

On August 6, 1776, the blessing of three bells marked a local event, with Claude Louis Henri de Chamblay as godfather and Jeanne Rose Dubois as godmother. The church, which became the branch of the Langres Chapter in 1807, was restored in 1845, and a new bell was added in 1868. Its registration for historical monuments in 2013 is a celebration of its heritage value. The bulbous square bell tower, sober gate and 18th-century altarpieces, decorated with Corinthian columns and religious canvases, illustrate its late Baroque style.

The interior is distinguished by a cradle vault resting on doric pillars, a Louis XVI chair in false marble, and a master altar decorated with rinceaux and mystical Lamb. The side altars, dedicated to St Augustine and St.Antoine, house 17th and 18th century statues and canvases. Among them, the Virgin with Child (XVIIth) and the golden statues of Saints Peter and Paul frame the main altarpiece. The architecture, attributed to architects Nicolas Nicole and Louis Beuque, combines structural simplicity and decorative richness, reflecting the artistic influences of the period.

The church's history is also marked by transfers of liturgical objects, such as those from Saint-Amatre de Langres in 1790, including old benches and a monumental canvas (2.92 m x 1.85 m) restored in Paris in 1969. This painting, inspired by the Dominiquin and classified in 1969, strengthens the link between Percey-le-Grand and the Langerian religious heritage. Today, the church, owned by the commune, remains a testimony of sacred art and local history, from its medieval foundation to its contemporary protection.

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