Construction of church XIe–XIIe siècles (≈ 1250)
Period of initial construction, Romanesque style.
14 janvier 1944
Destruction of the village
Destruction of the village 14 janvier 1944 (≈ 1944)
Only the church is spared by the Gestapo.
1er janvier 1969
Merger of municipalities
Merger of municipalities 1er janvier 1969 (≈ 1969)
Creation of Étoile-Saint-Cyrice by union.
10 mars 1987
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 10 mars 1987 (≈ 1987)
Official registration as a protected heritage.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church of Saint-Cyrice (former) (Box D2,146): inscription by order of 10 March 1987
Key figures
Saint Cyrice - Church patron and Christian martyr
Give the village and the building its name.
Maquisards (1944) - Resistant during World War II
Cause of the destruction of the village.
Origin and history
The church of Saint-Cyrice, located in the village of Étoile-Saint-Cyrice (Hautes-Alpes), is a religious building dating from the 11th–12th centuries. It is one of the oldest monuments in the Hautes-Alpes still covered, and its Romanesque architecture bears witness to its historical importance in the region. Ranked a historic monument in 1987, it was the only building to survive the destruction of the village of Saint-Cyrice on 14 January 1944, when the Gestapo and the Gap militia burned the commune in retaliation for the reception of guerrillas.
Originally, the church depended on the abbey of Chardavon, located in the present municipality of Saint-Geniez, which received its income. This link with the abbey reflects the medieval religious organization, where monastic establishments played a central role in the management of local parishes. The village of Saint-Cyrice, for its part, derives its name from Saint Cyrice, known as the youngest Christian martyr, attesting to an ancient religious tradition in the region.
The commune of Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, born in 1969 of the merger of Étoile-le-Château and Saint-Cyrice, is now integrated into the Regional Natural Park of the Provencal Baronnies. This territory, marked by a tragic history during the Second World War, retains a strong memory of the events of 1944, symbolized by the church, the last standing witness of that time. The site, located at the edge of the Hautes-Alpes and the Drôme, also illustrates the geographical and historical dynamics of this mountainous area of south-eastern France.
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