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Mont-sur-Monnet
is a pleasingly self-contained
agricultural village high above
Monnet-la-Ville, which sits in
the valley below. The road
between them races downhill like
a rollercoaster; a thrilling ride
on a bike, I can tell you. The
signs at the entrance to
Mont-sur-Monnet observe that it
is an ecovillage, having
introduced the recycling
practices to its homes and farms
that can earn you a reduction in
the rates in some parts of
France. Above the village, on the
road to Loulle, there is a vast
timber-processing plant, and
although Mont-sur-Monnet is a
farming settlement it is almost
entirely surrounded by forests. I remembered being
very struck by this little church
the previous year, so it was fun
to come back. It has a very
colourful interior, well-kept and
pretty, a great antidote to dour
Saint-Maurice down in the valley.
The apse and upper stages are
painted in vivid colours that
made me sure it had all been
redone since the 19th century.
The apse features a dramatic
Assumption, above Christ
enthroned, and the proclamation Venite
ad me omnes. Classical
pillars, glass chandeliers,
colourful statues and
foliage-painted glass create the
impression of an ecclesiastical
playroom.
The church
has one of the wall-mounted fonts
found commonly in this area;
unusually, this one is made of
wood, and the familiar image of
the baptism of Christ above it is
a wooden relief.
My
suspicions about the painting
were confirmed by a large donor
board that sits at the back of
the church - if only every church
had one of these! It revealed
that the church had been built in
1804, and then restored in 1881.
Beside this, the words (and
1978) had been added. The
Bishop of Saint-Claude had
consecrated it on the 14th May
1884, but by the chancel steps
there are half a dozen ledger
stones for priests, all dated in
the 17th and 18th centuries, so
an earlier church must have been
on the site.
Don't miss
Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc topping the
war memorial outside, and some
very moving children's
gravestones. This is a lovely
church, and in several visits I
have never found it locked.
The Assumption,
Mont-sur-Monnet, is in the middle
of the village which is
signposted from Monnet-la-Ville
on the D471 between Lons and
Champagnole.
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