Sunday, nearly 70 athletes from Vesoul Marathon have chosen the chapel as the starting point for their monthly training sessions, focusing on local heritage. – © Etienne COLIN
When heritage meets modernity: in Liévans, the forgotten chapel comes back to life, hosting concerts, cultural events, and local activities to show that history can be useful.
“What should we do with our church?” “You know, we have one mass per year!” “It costs the community to maintain it, to restore it…” These phrases, heard in many villages in the department, reflect the dilemma faced by elected officials regarding their religious heritage. Since the law of December 9, 1905, and the separation of church and state, places of worship are required to self-finance. “The mass is said!” could be said. Out of the 545 municipalities in Haute-Saône, almost all have a church, sometimes a historic monument, sometimes a small rural chapel. Between 400 and 450 buildings stand tall, often topped with the famous Comtois bell tower, witnesses to a history stretching from the Middle Ages to the Revolution. These buildings are both religious symbols and municipal issues. While they sometimes ensure popularity for elected officials, they also remain a central topic in municipal councils.
Returning the Church to the Center of the Village
In Liévans, the municipal council has decided to take charge of the management of its building, not a historic parish church, but a large neo-Gothic chapel. “It was built in 1870 and the archdiocese of the time did not want to consecrate it,” explains Bernard Gaudinet, mayor since 2001 and a native of the village. “As it was never blessed, it became a chapel.” With a wedding every five years and no mass for fifteen years, there was no question of letting it fall into disrepair. “Heritage is my thing,” smiles the mayor. With his council, he decided to convert the chapel into a cultural hall.
The work started in January 2024 and is expected to finish by the end of 2025. “The furniture was removed by vandals during the Christmas holidays in 2023,” recounts the mayor. “The altar was moved aside and we are looking for a stone sculptor to create a piece to be placed in the chapel.” The hall is now equipped with a kitchen, toilets, and state-of-the-art lighting. Mainly rented out to residents and families, it has already hosted a concert during the Estivales de Saône, organized by the concert hall Echo System in Scey-sur-Saône. “As the weather was nice, they played outside,” almost regrets Bernard Gaudinet.
Heritage and Vesoul Marathon
Although the hall is functional, its weak point remains the acoustics: forty people are enough to turn the place into a chaotic mess. “A company will install 80 m² of soundproofing in the spring, without altering the architecture: panels on the walls and about ten suspended rounds on the ceiling,” explains the mayor. The studies were carried out by Cerema (Center for Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility, and Planning). In terms of budget, the municipality managed to secure the necessary funds: total cost of €230,000, with €170,000 coming from European subsidies through the Villages of the Future program.
Two weeks ago, 65 runners and walkers from Vesoul Marathon chose the chapel as the starting point for their Sunday outing. “When the president called me for this training, I immediately accepted. We would like to promote the place,” adds Bernard Gaudinet.
Balancing history, culture, and municipal life, the chapel of Liévans exemplifies the challenge faced by elected officials: preserving heritage without dedicating disproportionate resources, while giving new life to these iconic places. For Bernard Gaudinet and his council, the goal is clear: for the chapel to continue to animate the village’s life, not through masses, but through culture, conviviality, and local events.
