HESSE ABBEY CHURCH - SAINT-LAURENT CHURCH
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Church forming a complex architectural ensemble, as evidenced by its various stages of construction
Hesse boasts some remarkable historical remains, starting with its Romanesque arched gateway, now at the heart of the village, which was part of the surrounding wall of the former Benedictine Abbey of Hesse. The abbey church itself forms a complex architectural whole, with different stages of construction and numerous features and ornaments to discover. When it was listed as a Monument Historique in 1861, it was said to be the only building in the département dating from the 11th century. Built between the 10th and 12th centuries, the building underwent several modifications in the 19th century. The transept and barrel-vaulted choir date from the Romanesque period, while the nave is Gothic. The nave houses the tombstones of the Counts of Dabo, the family of Pope Leo IX. The south transept features a sculpted frieze with anthropo-zoomorphic motifs and plant interlacing, as well as Romanesque-style capitals. On the exterior, the different phases of construction are clearly visible. The Vosges pink sandstone is a visual highlight. The entrance door is surmounted by an arched pediment housing a sculpted Virgin in primitive style. A cemetery surrounds the building. The Abbey Church is a little-known gem. Yet its strategic geographical location between Moselle and Vosges, Lorraine and Alsace, has reinforced its architectural diversity and artistic richness over the centuries.
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