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Origin and history

The Saint-Prix Church of Saulxures-sur-Moselotte, located in the Vosges, is a 19th-century Roman Catholic building with a Gothic Revival style, enriched by various architectural influences. Its history dates back to the ninth century, when monks founded a chapel dedicated to Saint Segoberge, giving birth to the village of "Saulsurix". This place, crossed by the Moselotte, became a crossing point between the monasteries of Remiremont and Munster.

In the 14th century Saulxures-sur-Moselotte, then attached to the Ban de Vagney, saw his parish built around a church dedicated to Saint Barthélemy. The tradition of the Kyriolés, where young girls from nearby parishes sang in Remiremont every Monday of Pentecost, illustrates its religious anchor. The original Romanesque building was replaced in the 19th century due to its deterioration, despite ad hoc repairs.

The construction of the present church began in 1881, financed by the legacy of Elizabeth Géhin, widow of a local manufacturer. The architect Charles-Henri Fachot designed a neo-Gothic building, inaugurated in 1883. The building suffered damage during world wars and weather conditions (1999 storm, 2003-2004 earthquakes), requiring major restoration completed in 2007.

The interior houses stained glass windows by C. Champigneulle (1882), an organ donated by Madame Géhin in 1869, and statues from the Volfron workshop in Nancy. The bell tower, culminating at 66 meters, dominates the valley. The bells, two of which date from the 18th and 19th centuries, bear witness to its heritage. The north-south orientation of the church, rare for Christian buildings, adds to its originality.

Funding for recent restorations involved the municipality, the General Council, the Heritage Foundation and private donors. Today, the Saint-Prix Church remains an active place of worship, integrated with the parish of Sainte-Croix du Haut-du-Roc, and a symbol of Vosges religious and architectural heritage.

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