Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Sébastien church of Soultzmatt, located in the Haut-Rhin, is a composite building whose oldest parts date back to the 12th century, with a Romanesque bell tower (circa 1120–140) characterized by bays in the middle of the hangar and lesenes. The nave, partially preserved with its north side with Romanesque arches with cubic capitals, dates from the middle of the 12th century. This side was integrated into a larger structure, while the south side, rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, has flamboyant vaults and sculpted keys to the coat of arms of local sponsors such as Guillaume Capler and Rodolphe Meiser.

The church was originally dedicated to Saint Gregory in the eighth century, before being renamed in 1309 after its restoration following a fire caused in 1298 by Thiebaut de Ferrette. Depending on the collegiate church of Lautenbach, it underwent major transformations in the eighteenth century: the choir and the sacristies, built from 1759 onwards, incorporated baroque elements (cartouche with the weapons of the city dated 1760, carved doors). In 1895 the nave was extended by two bays westward by architect Auguste Hartmann, imitating the medieval style.

The monument preserves traces of its different eras, such as the task marks on the elevations or ground capitals of the sandstone abside. Ranked and inscribed several times between 1934 and 1962, the church illustrates the Alsatian architectural evolution, from the novel to the flamboyant Gothic, including Baroque additions. His furniture includes a 1777 high altar attributed to Gabriel-Ignace Ritter, although he did not design the 18th parts.

Among the protected elements are the bell tower (classified in 1962), the funeral monuments of the Breitenlandenberg (XVIIth–XVIIIth centuries), and sculpted details such as window staples or armored vault keys. The mix of styles — a bell tower novel, Gothic for vaults, Baroque for the choir — reflects the construction and restoration campaigns carried out over nearly 700 years of history.

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