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Origin and history

The church Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte d'Écuelles, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, was built in 1838 according to the plans of the shawl architect Zola (1797-1864). Its atypical south-north orientation is the result of the desire to preserve a 16th century seigneurial chapel, now integrated as a choir. Father Claude Bandet, pastor of Écuelles from 1870 to 1878, criticized his design, judging the collaterals too narrow and the windows excessively high.

The church houses notable heritage features, including a 16th century tombstone classified in 1910, from the abbey of Molaise and adorned with effigies and coats of arms of the abbesses Gabrielle (died 1569) and Catherine de Saulx-Tavannes (died 1582). Two golden wooden reliquaries of the seventeenth century, registered in 1980, are preserved there: one contains relics of Saint Louis (including a fragment of skull offered by Philip IV the Bel at the Abbey of Molaise between 1296 and 1326), the other those of Saint Ursule and his companions. These relics, originally a yearly pilgrimage on August 25, testify to the historic significance of the site.

The choir is embellished with a mural entitled Presentation of Jesus, made in 1965 by Michel Bouillot at the request of the parish priest Jean Hermann (1923-2014), a former teacher in Lugny. A painting by Daniel Coulon (1950), representing Saint John the Baptist baptizing Christ, decorates the chapel with the baptismal fonts. The church, dedicated to Saint Cyr and Saint Julitte (fested on June 16), is now part of the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste-des-Trois-Rivières, whose seat is in Verdun-sur-le-Doubs.

The building illustrates the religious and artistic heritage of the Burgundy Bresse, combining 19th century architecture and medieval remains. Its history reflects the transformations of places of worship after the Revolution, as well as the preservation of liturgical objects from missing abbeys, such as Molaise. The pilgrimage linked to the relics of Saint Louis, although less frequented today, recalls its past spiritual role.

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