Notre-Dame (Vitry-le-François)
The Notre-Dame collegiate church in Vitry-le-François is a baroque building that is typical of what is known as classical in France . It is the main church in the city.
history
After the previous settlement Vitry-en-Perthois was destroyed by the troops of Charles V in 1544, the city was laid out in its current location in a regular checkerboard pattern .
Initially, only a small timber frame church could be built from 1557 onwards. The foundation stone of the current church was not laid until 1629. In order to be able to continue using the first church, the new church was built around the old one. Construction work began with the north tower and continued with the side chapels. In 1683 the south tower was added. Only when the new building could be covered in 1755 did the demolition of the old wooden church begin. The choir could not be completed until the end of the 19th century by Monsignor Nottin.
The roof structure burned out in a bomb attack in 1940, but valuable parts of the interior were saved. The church is a typical building of the French baroque of the 17th and 18th centuries. The facade has a classic structure. The middle facade is as wide as the two tower facades. The three floors of the two towers correspond to this three-way division. The division is accentuated by columns and cornices. The sober solemnity inside is probably due to the influence of Jansenism . The crossing dome and the high transept as well as the large shell-shaped windows make it appear majestic and bright.
Furnishing
The high altar was originally created in 1716 for a church in Reims . In 1792 it was taken to a church in Châlons-en-Champagne , but sold two years later. In 1875 it was finally acquired for Notre-Dame in Vitry. The original main altar from 1791 made of different colored marble is now in the sacrament chapel. A painting by Louis-Simon Boizot from 1758 depicting the Sermon on the Mount hangs above the stalls .
The organ was created in the 18th century by the organ builder Jacques Cochu for the Trois-Fontaines abbey church. It was erected here in 1791 and changed again and again in the following years. It was damaged by the bombing in World War II . In 1983 the Haerpfer company was able to restore it to its original condition from 1788. It has 39 registers .
In the side chapels there are other paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, including by Jean Restout .
Web links
Notre-Dame (Vitry-le-François) as a 3D model in SketchUp's 3D warehouse
literature
- Church leader of the community (translated by Gisela Müller)
- Michelin Guide Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne, 1998
Coordinates: 48 ° 43 ′ 31.5 " N , 4 ° 35 ′ 11.2" E