SAINT-ETIENNE-DE-MÉLAS CHURCH

Le Teil is home to one of the department's most precious architectural and historical jewels. Long little-known, it is now being brought to light, first by a municipal initiative, then following the earthquake that mobilized people to save it. While the much more recent church in the center of the village, also weakened by the major earthquake of November 11, 2019, is set to be destroyed, the church of Saint-Etienne-de-Mélas (^9th-19th centuries) is being saved thanks to a major solidarity movement. This remarkable church, located on an ancient Roman road, stands out for its majesty. The building has three naves, of which the north nave is the oldest. The five-bay central nave, dating from the ^12th century, is distinguished by its pointed barrel vault. Also noteworthy is the octagonal chapel to the north, with its high, semicircular niches, believed to date back to the ^11th century. Thanks to its election to the Bern mission for heritage preservation, the church of Saint-Etienne-de-Mélas, which has been enhanced by communal works since 2010, is benefiting from preservation and consolidation work. The town council, which had already invested in a pedestrian walkway around the church, the creation of a rose garden, stone walls and the restoration of the forecourt, will now complete the work so that visitors can once again fully enjoy this jewel of Romanesque architecture, which is the pride of the entire region and is admired from afar.