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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Marcel de Bouligneux, located in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is a religious building dating back to the 11th century. It is mentioned as existing at the beginning of the 15th century, when the lords of La Palud finished a seigneurial chapel. At that time, the territory was marked by conflicts that damaged the building, requiring restorations in the 18th century. The bell tower, destroyed during the French Revolution, was partially rebuilt later.

In the 19th century, works led by architects Farfouillon (1861) and Rochet (1888) altered the original plan into a Latin cross, adding a square sacristy and access to the bell tower. The choir, of square plan, preserves traces of the old structure, including niches to the south. Polls revealed wall paintings from the 13th or 14th century, including one winged character and another holding a book. These elements, along with liturgical objects such as a gothic calvary and funerary slabs of the lords of La Palud, bear witness to its rich past.

The church, which has been completely protected since 2008, includes painted decorations, historic furnishings and the plot on which it stands. Owned by the commune of Bouligneux, it embodies both local history and architectural developments related to religious needs and political hazards. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its heritage importance in the department of Ain.

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