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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Jérôme de Briod, located in the Jura department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, was built between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century. In 1495 a treaty was signed between the parish priest of Saint-Étienne de Coldres and the inhabitants of Briod for its construction, and in 1512 the village obtained its own vicar. A bell tower was added in the 17th century, completing the building that combines late Romanesque and Gothic elements, as evidenced by its trilobed bays and its flamboyant flat bedside.

The chapel, dedicated to St Jerome, never had a cemetery and depended on that of Coldres. It is located on an elevated square, offering views of the Jura mountains and, in clear weather, Mont Blanc. Its interior contains remarkable statues, including a 16th-century St Jerome accompanied by a lion, a Virgin with Child, and a 17th-century altarpiece decorated with holy figures such as St Stephen and St Peter. The stone benches integrated into the walls and its entrance porch underline its central role in community life.

Ranked a historic monument in 1970, the chapel illustrates the persistence of Romanesque forms at the end of the Middle Ages, while reflecting the architectural evolutions of the following centuries. Its furniture, including polychrome wooden statues of the 16th and 17th centuries, and its characteristic bell tower, make it a precious witness to the local religious heritage. Today, it is owned by the municipality and remains an occasional place of worship, especially at the employers' festival on 30 September.

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