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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The ossuary of Cattenom is located under the choir of the ancient parish church of St.Martin, built in the 16th century. This monument, dated from the 1st quarter of the 18th century, is characterized by a right span of the vaulted choir and a vaulted ossuary in a cradle. It bears witness to the local religious architecture of this period, incorporating funeral elements typical of rural churches.

In 1831, the parish church was transferred to the centre of the village, on the site of the former chapel Saint Stephen. The original building, with the exception of the choir, was demolished in 1843. This choir, restored the same year, then became a chapel dedicated to Saint-Étienne, always housing the ossuary under its structure. The site is now protected, with an inventory of Historical Monuments since November 23, 1987.

The location of the ossuary, under the chapel of the cemetery of Cattenom (9 Rue du Cimetière), reflects its historical use linked to the funeral practices of the community. The municipality, located in Moselle in the Great East, thus retains a significant architectural and cultural vestige, municipal property and accessible within the framework of the local cemetery.

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