Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Symphorien de Gy, located in the Haute-Saône department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a religious building rebuilt between 1769 and 1774 under the direction of engineer Henri Frignet and master mason Michel-Antoine Tournier. The project, inspired by the ancient Roman basilicas, aimed to modernize the building existing since the 11th century, adopting a three-nave basilical plan, without transept, with a flat bedside. The first stone was laid by the Cardinal of Choiseul-Beaupré, but budgetary constraints imposed to preserve the old bell tower of the seventeenth century, connected to the new nave. Inside, marked by ionic columns and zenithal lighting via oculi, reflects the influence of contemporary Parisian churches like Saint-Philippe-du-Roule.

The church furniture illustrates a mixture of neoclassical and baroque styles. The Baldaquin of the high altar (1781), designed by Jorion de Nancy and carved by Jean-Baptiste Michel Deschamps, dominates the space with its Corinthian columns and gilding. The paintings, including a canvas depicting Saint Symphorien (patron of the parish) and two paintings by Camille Chazal (1860), complete a sober yet elegant decor. Side altars (1792), in harmony with the high altar, incorporate painted medallions and retables. The building, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1950, also retains older elements, such as a 15th century baptismal tank and a 17th century polychrome wood crucifixion, classified separately.

The reconstruction of the church is part of a broader context of urban renewal in Franche-Comté in the 18th century. Thanks to the revenue generated by the sale of the "quarters of reserve" (communal timber destined for the futai, according to the order of Colbert), the municipalities financed public facilities, including churches. Gy, then encircled by ramparts, saw his old church, damaged during the siege of 1640, replaced by a more functional building. The dedicated cemetery, formerly adjacent to the church (with areas reserved for pesticide and coal miners), was moved in the early 19th century. The "Greek" architecture of St.Symphorian, rare in the province, bears witness to the influence of the Enlightenment and the desire for rationality in the religious constructions of the time.

Local artisans played a key role in the project. Charles Colombot designed the stucco decorations, while Charles Marca (bisontin gypsum) carved the pulpit in the shape of a "bonbonnière", and Claude Perron (Gy stone tailor) made his base. The Baldaquin, the masterpiece of Deschamps, was inspired by Parisian models, but adapted to local means. Despite limited means, the church became a flagship of the Haute-Saône heritage, symbolizing the transition between the Old Regime and classical ideals. Today, it still houses classified liturgical objects, such as an 18th century chalice and a altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin, once preserved at the Gray Museum.

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