leaks, water infiltration… this Nièvre church will finally be saved

On April 25, the Heritage Foundation revealed the first 100 beneficiaries of its collection for religious buildings. The Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens church in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Nièvre) is one of them. A relief for the village, where the inhabitants “are very linked to their church”.

It has stood proudly on its hill since the 16th century. In Saint-Pierre-du-Mont (Nièvre), the parish church of Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens is a passage on the road to Compostela… and, since April 25, one of the first 100 beneficiaries of the collection in favor of religious heritage, initiated by the Heritage Foundation.

Concretely, the town could receive a boost of 25,000 euros for the restoration of its church. A more than welcome sum because the building is in a particularly worrying state – so much so that public access has been prohibited for three years.

“The roof was starting to leak. We have a lot of wind, so every day we picked up tiles that came loose and flew away.“, explains Jean-Jacques Mey, the mayor of Saint-Pierre-du-Mont. “The water entering the church began to dirty the walls, as it was no longer airtight. One day or another, it was going to be completely flooded.“

As a result, a first phase of work was launched a few months ago. The objective was above all to renovate the roof, which had become porous and brittle over the years. “The old roof was made of shingle, a kind of American tile which was not at all suitable for this type of building.“, notes the elected official. “At the time, it was cheaper. But that will force us to do it twice.“

A state of great vulnerability which nevertheless allowed the building to be retained by the Heritage Foundation for its collection. “The church ticks all the boxes, because the collection is primarily aimed at buildings that are in small rural communities“, explains Pierre Boussard, delegate of the Nièvre heritage foundation.

This church is not protected, neither registered nor classified, so the municipality finds itself alone to finance the work.

Pierre Boussard,

delegate of the Nièvre heritage foundation

Good news for the residents, who remain “very connected to their church“, indicates Jean-Jacques Mey. “It is a heritage that is very important to them. So it’s a Source of pride to have been selected, it shows that our project is neither neglected nor negligible.“

As a reminder, three other churches in Burgundy will also receive aid from the Heritage Foundation: the Saint-Médard d’Urcy church (Côte-d’Or), the Saint-Ferréol de Curgy church (Saône-et-Loire ) and the Saint-Martin church of Aillant-sur-Tholon in Montholon (Yonne).