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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint Vincent d'Avanne was built to replace an earlier building, located on the right bank of the Doubs, regularly damaged by floods. In 1821, this first building was sold because of its degraded condition. The municipalities of Avanne and Aveney, then distinct but sharing the same parish, decided to finance together a new church, more central. The bisontin architect Pierre Marnotte drew the plans in 1826, and the works were completed in 1831. The neoclassical style of the building is distinguished by its stone bell tower with Tuscan doric pilasters and a vaulted apse illuminated by a lantern.

In 1861, a white iron dome replaced the flat cover of the bell tower, carried by the wind. This dome, restored in 1989, is surmounted by a girouette. The interior of the church, originally rich in decorative elements designed by Marnotte (like a pulpit to preach and a neoclassical frieze), underwent a major transformation in 1958, resulting in the disappearance of many original details. The stained glass windows, installed before the Second World War, and the furniture designed by Marnotte in 1831 (including a 14th century statue of Notre-Dame de Consolation) remain evidence of its history.

Ranked a historic monument in 1998, the church belongs to the municipality of Avanne-Aveney. It depends on the parish of Notre-Dame du Mont, attached to the diocese of Besançon. Its architecture, combining neoclassical sobriety and functional elements such as the zenithal lighting of the apse, reflects adaptations to local constraints, including flood risks. The Selbian portal and the Tuscan doric colonnade underline the influence of 19th-century architectural canons.

The furniture includes notable pieces, such as a wooden statue of Saint Vernier (XIXth century), listed in the historical monuments inventory in 1975. The building, served by Besançon public transport (lines 22 and 52), remains an active place of worship and an emblematic heritage of the region, illustrating the evolution of religious and architectural practices in Franche-Comté.

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