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Origin and history

The Saint-Dominique church of Old Thann, originally dedicated to the Virgin, has been attested since the tenth century as the oldest in the Thur Valley. It served as a mother church in Thann until 1389 and was a Marian pilgrimage place before being eclipsed by the cult of Saint Thiebaut in the 14th century. The site also housed the confraternities of Haute-Alsace and the weavers of Thann. In 1289, a community of beguines of Gundolsheim settled there, adopting the rule of St Augustine in 1479 and then integrating the order of the Dominicans in 1534, until the French Revolution.

The present building preserves remains of the 12th or early 13th century (base of the tower and chapel Saint-Michel). The nave, rebuilt at the end of the 14th century after its destruction by English companies in 1376, was completed around 1399, as evidenced by a letter of indulgence for an altar dedicated to the Virgin. The choir, dated the first quarter of the 15th century, underwent repairs after a fire in 1445 caused by the Armagnacs. The tower was enhanced around 1403, and the jube and the holy tomb, works by Rémy Faesch, were added in 1516. Lightning struck the bell tower in 1489, and the village was burned by the Swedes in 1468.

In the 18th century, the architect Jean-Baptiste Chassain led a major restoration in 1769, modifying the bays and interior layout of the nave. The jube, deleted at that time, leaves room for a organ stand keeping its original arcades. The church, listed as a historical monument in 1904 (church, stained glass windows, holy tomb) and registered in 1988 (nef), illustrates the architectural and religious transformations of medieval and modern Alsace. His story is documented by the Annales of the Franciscans of Thann and the Little Chronicle of Thann.

Prior to his consecration to St.Dominic, the church was a major spiritual and social centre, linked to artisanal activities (housekeepers, weavers) and religious orders. The beguines, then the Dominicans, marked monastic life there until the Revolution. The stained glass windows, like that of the Virgin (1466), and the armories of Burgundy on the axial stained glass, reflect the political and artistic influences of the time. The task marks and successive reconstructions bear witness to its role despite conflicts and fires.

Today, the Church of Santo Domingo remains a symbol of the Alsatian heritage, mixing Gothic and Baroque styles. Its holy tomb, its painting of brotherhood, and its preserved medieval elements (tour, chapel Saint-Michel) make it a unique place of memory. The duality between its Marian and Dominican past and its architectural transformations make it a key monument to understanding the religious and urban evolution of the region.

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