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Origin and history

The Saint-Sauveur church of Manosque, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, combines Romanesque and Gothic styles. Built between the end of the 12th century and the 14th century, it was consecrated in 1372 by Bishop Ranulphe of Gorsus, nephew of Pope Innocent VI, but opened to worship as early as 1250. Its square bell tower is surmounted by a ironware campanile, made in 1725 by Guillaume Bounard, a blacksmith of Valensole. This campanile, one of the oldest in Provence, was transferred to the church in 1869 after the demolition of the clock tower of Saint-Sauveur Square.

The interior of the church reveals a rebellious Romanesque nave in the seventeenth century, a transversal Romanesque transept, and an apse covered with a nerved cul-de-four. The furniture includes carved wooden seats and canvases from the 17th and 18th centuries. The organ, built in 1625 by Esprit Meyssonnier, was transformed by Piantanida in the 19th century. Its Italian-style buffet with French influences has been classified as historical monuments since 1908, while the instrumental part has been since 1971.

The Meyssonnier-Piantanida organ, with a 54 note keyboard and a "Italian" pedal, retains 473 original pipes. It was restored several times, notably in 1977 and 2006. The buffet, decorated with roses and musical trophies, probably inspired Jean-Esprit Isnard for the organ of the cathedral of Aix-en-Provence. The church itself, classified as a historical monument in 1975, embodies a remarkable architectural and musical heritage.

The Saint-Sauveur Square, where the church stands, is decorated with a fountain of cast iron decorated with swans. The campanile, a masterpiece of seamless ironwork, is crowned with a cross and draws a rose in the sky. The building, opened to worship since 1250, bears witness to the architectural and artistic evolution of Provence throughout the centuries.

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