ÉGLISE SAINT-NICOLAS

Church in Vosges sandstone and neo-classical style, it was built from 1760 to 1768. It is named after St Nicolas, patron saint of boatmen, children and Lorraine. The monument was built according to the plans of the military architect Charles Martin. Its architecture is massive and if you look at the pediment, you can see motifs evoking military insignia (helmets, flags...) to the glory of the Divine Armies. On the upper part of the entrance door are sculpted three angels' heads, placed above and below a triangle containing the eye of God. This figure represents the Holy Trinity. In the 18th century, the church was a very imposing building in proportion to the number of inhabitants of the town (2000 people at the end of the century). Inside, the building contains an interesting 18th century furniture. The high altar and the pulpit are characteristic works of the baroque period. The pulpit is interesting for its rocaille motifs. It is decorated with the dove, symbol of divine inspiration, and the four evangelists Luke, Matthew, Mark and John in a naive style. The church also has a remarkable baroque organ, acquired in 1769, which was reworked several times, most recently after the fire of 1990. The present facade consists of a central body from the 18th century and the side towers (1850). The instrumental part was rebuilt by the organ builder Yves Koenig according to the specifications of Norbert Petri. The three large paintings in the choir are the work of Januareuszick, the official court painter of the Prince-Bishop of Trier. They represent the Nativity, the Descent from the Cross and the Resurrection. The most precious and most expensive sculpture in the choir of the Sarregueminois is the Pieta in the chapel of the Virgin (1663).