Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre de Pommard, located in the wine village of Pommard in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, replaces a 14th century medieval building, destroyed in 1753 because of its state of advanced degradation. Its reconstruction was entrusted to the architect-entrepreneur Dijonnais Jean Caristie between 1754 and 1757, according to the plans of Charles-Elie Le Jolivet, architect of the states of Burgundy and visit Dijon. The building, built in a coat of stone with cut stone elements for the façade and the bell tower, illustrates the classic regional style with a three-span nave, a marked transept, and a choir extended by a semicircular apse.

The interior structure is distinguished by vaults of double-sided ridges, supported by pilasters and an entrapment, while the cross of the transept has a vault with eight alternating quarters. The windows, in the middle or in segment arch, and the rectangular doors reflect the 18th century aesthetic cannons. The initial bell tower, erected on the cross of the transept, was demolished in 1776 due to building defects, then replaced in 1778 by a tower with apse, designed by sub-engineer Emiland Gauthey. The front terrace, planned by Pierre-Jean Guillemot in 1781, was only completed in 1784.

Ranked among the Historical Monuments since 1976, Saint Peter's Church embodies both the religious heritage and the Burgundian architectural engineering of the Enlightenment. Its history reflects the technical challenges of the time, with successive interventions by architects and engineers to correct or complete the building. The combination of local materials, such as cutting stone, and sophisticated vaulting techniques, demonstrates the adaptation of traditional know-how to the aesthetic and functional requirements of the eighteenth century.

External links