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Champagnole
is the third largest town in the
department du Jura - this, of
course, is not saying much. A
population of barely 8,000 would
make but a large village of it in
England, but here it is a
significant market town, very
busy indeed on a Saturday
morning. The main street (really,
the only street) is lined with
shops, bars and banks. Behind the
western side of the street the
land drops away suddenly and
dramatically to the river below. The grand church
sits on the square, which sadly
is used for car parking nowadays
- the market has a new larger
open space about 250m north. I
call it grand, but at heart this
is just a rural Jura church that
has been extended and urbanised
because of its catchment.
However, inside we find that rare
survival in this area: baroque
overload. The great altar piece
rises a good 8m into the air, and
is dated 1757, seven years after
the church was rebuilt. It is a
rather imposing reminder that we
are, after all, in France. As
well as the two patrons it
includes scenes from the
martyrdom of St Sebastian.
St Cyr and
St Juliette also stand guard on
the organ gallery at the west
end. The dedication of the church
reflects the enthusiasms of the
age in which it was built, and
the aisles and transepts that
were added in 1793 made a proper
town church of it. It is a
particularly welcoming place for
tourists, with guides in four
different languages and a
properly evangelical
encouragement to attend Mass.
Rather different to Lons, which is in many
ways a much more interesting
church.
If you are
looking for this church,don't be
confused by the very
ecclesiastical looking clock
tower at the north end of the
main street a hundred yards or so
away; the nave-like structure
beside it is the town hall.
Champagnole is
on the N5 between Dole and
Geneva. St Cyr and St Juliette is
on the square on the main street.
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