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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sainte-Madeleine church, located in the Battant district of Besançon, is a classically-style hall church built between 1746 and 1766 by architect Nicolas Nicole. It replaces a former Gothic collegiate founded in 1063 by Bishop Hugues I of Salins, on the site of a crypt dedicated to Saint Lin, the first bishop of Besançon (III/IVth century). The current building, 66 meters long, is distinguished by its triple nave, its lateral chapels and its roof in painted tiles of Burgundy. Ranked a historic monument in 1930, it houses an organ and a museum dedicated to the wine and religious history of the neighborhood.

In the 18th century, the church was enriched with remarkable elements: a solar meridian designed by Jean-Louis Bisot, 16th and 17th century statues, and paintings by Flemish and Comtoise schools. Between 1828 and 1830, two towers were added, including the one housing the Jacquemard, an automatic carillonneur symbol of the city. This wood and metal figure, measuring 1.80 m, has been sounding hours since at least the 15th century, with restorations documented in 1622, 1752, and regularly until 1997. The Bisontins affectionately call it "the Jacquemard" and celebrate its restorations by festive processions.

The interior of the church retains rich furniture despite revolutionary looting (1793-1795), when the building served as a forage store. There is a high altar of 1834, an eighteenth-century pulpit from St Paul's Abbey, and sculptures like the Way of the Cross from Auguste Clésinger. The great organ, by Claude-Ignace Callinet, restored by Jean Deloye and Alain Sals, has been classified since 1976. The church also houses a museum retracing the life of the Battant neighbourhood, a former fief of bisontin winemakers, and its religious history.

The classical facade, inspired by the Temple of Solomon, bears a Latin inscription: "Cor meum ibi cuntis diebus" ("Je always have there my eyes and my heart"), taken from the First Book of Kings. This place of worship, entrusted to the Fraternity of Saint Peter, remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Besançon, mixing medieval, Baroque and local traditions.

The iconic figure Jacquemard embodies the inhabitants' attachment to their heritage. Its restorations, often contested (as in 1828, where its traditional red, yellow and black colours were temporarily replaced), are the occasion of popular festivals. The present automata, the 4th since the 15th century, perpetuates a unique tradition in Franche-Comté, linked to the identity of the Battant neighborhood and its Bousbots (name of the inhabitants).

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