Catégorie : Sites 2026

In 2026 > Marianne VILLIÈRE

Composed of two hamlets, Le Touillon and Loutelet, the village has been mentioned in texts since the 14th century. This small village of nearly 300 inhabitants has seen its population grow significantly thanks to its proximity to Switzerland, but it doesn’t want to be a commuter town. Hence the dynamism of the local council, which emphasizes the natural and environmental attractions of Le Touillon-Loutelet at the foot of Mont d’Or. But, surprisingly in a predominantly Catholic village in the Haut-Doubs region, there is no church or chapel, and the only public architectural feature is the World War I memorial. The village’s official website, however, mentions a building under the name of chapel! It is indeed topped with a bell tower and a cross, but has no proven religious function. However, the municipality wishes to give it a cultural purpose, hence its inclusion in the Art in Chapels program in 2026. The village has a very strong connection with culture, and particularly with cinema, since it is the birthplace of Armand Deleule (1914-2002), a water and forestry engineer and senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture, better known as Armand Chartier. Founder of the Ministry’s film library in 1947, he directed or produced several hundred documentary films about rural life, 127 of which won international awards. Prominent directors worked with Armand Deleule-Chartier, including Robert Enrico, Jacques Demy, Alain Resnais, Jean Chapot, Georges Rouquier, Georges Franju, Jacques Doillon, Marcel Bluwal, René Clément, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Denys de La Patellière, and Éric Rohmer.

GPS : 46,739577 / 6,230343

In 2026 > Céline NOTHEAUX

The parish of Labergement Sainte Marie obtained the right to build its first church in 1662, but it was only a vicarage church and remained a modest building. The parish church was built in 1702 under the patronage of Saint Théodule. It was completely destroyed by fire in 1825. Construction of a new church began in 1847 with the building of a stone bell tower. Reconstruction work was undertaken in 1850 and 1870, and various maintenance, upgrades, and technical improvements were carried out in the 20th and 21st centuries. Located on the edge of the cemetery, it is a rectangular building consisting of a bell tower-porch opening onto a four-bay nave with no windows, flanked by side aisles, preceding a chancel bay and the chancel. There is no true transept, but the crossing is marked by a dome. The entire structure is covered by rib vaults separated by transverse arches and lit by tall stained-glass windows with narrative or geometric decoration set into the walls of the side aisles. Very tall pillars separate the nave from the side aisles. There is no altarpiece in the chancel: only the presence of choir stall elements (probably from the original church) and two statues, one of which is of Saint Peter, can be noted. There are also no altarpieces in the side aisles, where, respectively, a statue of the Virgin Mary beneath a painting (the Donation of the Rosary) and a statue of Saint Joseph, also beneath a painting, are displayed. Sculptures, typical of 19th-century Sulpician art, are grouped at the back of the side aisles, either high up or around the baptismal font (surmounted by a painting depicting the Baptism of Christ). Outside, the transept (although almost non-existent inside) is marked by a slight overhang of the walls and by a gable roof independent of the two sides of the nave; the bell tower is covered by an imperial roof.

GPS : 46,739577 / 6,230343

In 2026 > Christian GONZENBACH, Élie BOLARD

The Church of Saint George in Frasne may have existed as early as the 11th century. Located at the crossroads of Pontarlier, Salins, and the Val de Mièges, Frasne benefited from a privileged geographical position, further enhanced by the proximity of bodies of water and extensive forests. The village thus experienced economic and demographic growth, justifying the construction of a church (perhaps already dedicated to Saint George) which was situated on the site of the current cemetery. In poor condition, practically unsanitary, and too small, it was replaced by a new building, the construction of which began in 1829. It was restored in 1831 after the collapse of the nave vault; further restorations were carried out in 1865, 1881, 1905, and finally in 1941 after a fire. Situated on a small rise beside the road linking Pontarlier to Champagnole, the Church of Saint George exhibits architectural features similar to older buildings: a square bell tower-porch preceding a nave and two side aisles, extending into a chancel with a semicircular apse. Several decorative elements attributable to the 18th century (side altars and altarpieces, statues) likely originate from the original church, of which only a few stones and sculptures remain, embedded in a wall adjoining the presbytery. Of particular note is the presence of an anonymous and undated copy of Nicolas Poussin’s (1594-1665) painting, The Israelites Gathering Manna in the Desert, which is unusual in that it was executed in reverse: what is on the right in Poussin’s painting is on the left here, and vice versa, as if the copy had been made from a mirror or an engraving plate!

GPS : 46,739577 / 6,230343

In 2026 > Théophile PERIS

The small chapel of Saint Claude is located in the hamlet of Entre-les-Fourgs, within the municipality of Jougne. Situated at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, Entre-les-Fourgs experienced harsh, snow-covered winters, causing significant travel difficulties for the inhabitants, particularly when attending religious services: they had to travel to the Hôpitaux (hospitals) and then to the Saint-Maurice church in Jougne for each ceremony. In 1684, taking advantage of the Bishop of Lausanne’s pastoral visit to Jougne, they requested permission to build a place of worship. They obtained permission to build a chapel, but at their own expense! It was inaugurated in 1687 and dedicated to Saint Claude, Archbishop of Besançon in the 7th century and patron saint of Franche-Comté. This chapel is a small, rectangular building consisting of a single nave and a chancel separated by a transverse arch and lit by stained-glass windows. The whole is covered by a gabled roof and, at the entrance, by a small, square-based bell tower topped with a mansard roof. On the exterior, the walls are covered with plaster on the facade and wooden shingles on the sides. The bell tower is also covered with wooden shingles and fish-scale slates. The altar is surmounted by a gilded wooden tabernacle reminiscent of the one in the Saint-Claude chapel in Chapelle Mijoux. A painting (The Visitation, a listed historical monument) from the late 16th or early 17th century occupies the back wall of the chancel, above the tabernacle. It is flanked by two statues of Saint Eligius and Saint Claude. Also of note is a Christ on the cross which was originally part of a sculpted group (listed as a historical monument) composed of polychrome wooden statues of Mary and Saint John (17th century).

GPS : 46,739577 / 6,230343

In 2026 > Pauline CORDIER

The chapel of Chapelle-Mijoux was built in 1705. It is dedicated to Saint Claude, Archbishop of Besançon, born in Salins (Jura) around 607 and who died in 699 at the monastery of Condat (now the Abbey of Saint-Claude in the Jura). The patron saint of Franche-Comté, he is invoked for the healing of the infirm and the crippled. The hamlet was then called « Les Gagelin, » hence the name « the Gagelin Chapel » originally given to this chapel. It was founded and endowed by Claude Belot de Villette, a canon of the metropolitan church, who owned an estate in the hamlet. The inhabitants provided the materials, and Sir Belot de Villette paid for the labor. For the chapel’s decoration, Canon Belot donated several works, including five paintings bearing his coat of arms. The sanctuary had a resident chaplain until 1820. It is a small building, consisting of a single nave with two bays separated by pilasters and covered by a ribbed vault. The chancel is integrated into the second bay and delimited by a chancel screen (communion barrier). Stained-glass windows with semicircular arches illuminate each bay. The whole is covered by a gabled roof surmounted, above the entrance, by a small square bell tower. A canopy protects the entrance, which is topped by a semicircular stone arch. A 300-pound bell had been cast and placed in the bell tower, but it broke in 1744 and was replaced by a new 400-pound bell. The most interesting feature is the gilded and carved wooden tabernacle, in a very Italianate style (18th century), adorned with statuettes, cherub heads, and small caryatids. It was donated by Claude Gagelin, a member of the Duke of Randan’s honor guard. During the fire of August 31, 1736, which destroyed a large part of Pontarlier, the three young children of Étienne Richard, a cavalryman in the constabulary, perished in their attic where they had taken refuge. He commissioned a votive painting bearing the inscription: « August 31, 1736. At the sight of today’s spectacle, we shed tears of blood, we live without being able to die, pierced by three sharp sorrows. » This painting is still preserved in the chapel.

GPS : 46,739577 / 6,230343