Church à Coligny dans l'Ain

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Coligny, located in the department of Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a religious building built during the 2nd half of the 15th century, then profoundly redesigned in the 2nd half of the 19th century. It embodies a mix of original Gothic architecture and neo-Gothic additions, with an eight-span nave vaulted with dogive crosses, monolithic pillars adorned with plant capitals, and a three-sided bedside. The west facade, with a carved porch representing Saint Martin sharing its coat, is surmounted by a rose and an arrow bell tower. Inside, the 28 15th century stalls, decorated with carved heads and flamboyant motifs, and their mercies, bear witness to medieval craftsmanship. The stained glass windows, furniture (master altar, altarpieces, pulpit) and neo-Gothic decorations date back to the 19th century, during which the architect Claude-Anthelme Benoit supervised the restoration work, while Dominique Girard designed key elements such as the altar of the Sacred Heart or the confessionals.

The building owes part of its 15th century reconstruction to Étienne Morel, bishop of Maurienne and abbot of Ambronay, native of Coligny. Its influence and ecclesiastical functions explain the architectural similarities between the church bedside, the cathedral of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and the abbey of Ambronay, all contemporary. The nave, rebuilt between 1869 and 1886 under the impulse of the parish priest Magaud, sought to harmonize the old and new parts, for example by reproducing the fillings of the windows of the abside for the side bays. Ranked a historical monument in 1984, the church is also distinguished by its quality furniture, including carved panels illustrating the life of Christ, a altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin, and 19th century stained glass windows. The stone of apparent size, the arches of the transeptual chapels, and the dogive vault with six quarters of the bedside underline the rigor of its construction.

The patrimony of the Church of St.Martin extends to rare elements such as its mercies, small consoles carved under the stalls, allowing the clerics to support during the services. These details, combined with the iconographic richness of the stalls (human heads, flamboyant motifs) and neo-Gothic additions (dais ajourés, Christian scenes), make this a major testimony of religious art in Bresse. The flat tile roof, the prominent foothills, and the zenithal lighting with roses complete an architectural composition both functional and symbolic. Today owned by the commune, the church remains an active place of worship, while attracting art lovers for its preserved furniture and its inscription as historical monuments.

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