Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Léger de Terrans, located in the former municipality of Terrans (now attached to Pierre-de-Bresse in Saône-et-Loire), was built in the 18th century to replace a medieval seigneurial chapel. The latter, linked to the Terrans castle whose location remains uncertain, was served by the parish priest of Charette-Varennes. There remains a 15th century tombstone, that of Mathey de Chanteret, captain, preserved in the northern chapel.

In 1765 Guillaume de Truchis, owner of the medieval castle transformed into a provincial home, supervised the construction of the present church. The building, made of wood-cooked red bricks, is distinguished by its nave illuminated with bays in the middle of the hangar and its bell tower housing a bell of 1730, native to the Dijon region. The interior features a cradle vault and a remarkable fresco by Michel Bouillot (1955), commissioned by Father René Morin.

This fresco, entitled "Descent of the Cross" but interpreted as a "rise to the heavens", includes three young inhabitants of Terrans as models: Daniel Loriot, Daniel Liegon and Serge Desbois. The work, unique of its kind, combines a wooden crucifix and a composition symbolizing the Resurrection. The church, still dedicated to Catholic worship under the diocese of Autun, is closed to the public but accessible for ad hoc visits.

The building illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the Burgundian Bresse, mixing seigneurial heritage (the 15th century tombstone), 18th century transformations (the castle and the church) and modern artistic heritage (fresco of 1955). Its history also reflects the territorial changes, since Terrans lost its communal status in 1972 to Pierre-de-Bresse.

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