Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Maurice, Chavornay
Protestant parish church in Chavornay, Vaud, Switzerland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Maurice (French: église réformée Saint-Maurice),[1] also named Church of Saint Marcel[2] or simply the Chavornay Temple (French: temple de Chavornay), is a Protestant church in the municipality of Chavornay, Vaud, Switzerland. It is a parish church of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud. It was listed as a heritage site of national significance.
| Chavornay Temple | |
|---|---|
| Temple de Chavornay (French) | |
| |
  Location within Switzerland  Location within Canton of Vaud | |
| 46°42′06″N 06°34′13″E | |
| Type | Parish church of the Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Vaud |
| Location | Chavornay, canton of Vaud, Switzerland |
Official name | Eglise réformée Saint-Maurice |
| Reference no. | 5984 |
History
The church was already mentioned in the 12th century. It was re-built and altered several times.[3] The oldest preserved parts date back to 1400. In the 15th century, the nave was covered with a wooden curved ceiling[4] that symbolises the vault of the sky and hides the apparent flaws.[5] In the 16th century, the nave was separated into three parts by two pillars and the Gothic window of the choir was enlarged.[6] Under this window, a communion table was made from a slab of a former baptismal font.[7]
The church is located on a hill that overlooks the village.[2] It was listed among the Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance.[1] The vicarage located next to the church is the seat of the Chavornay parish which also includes the communes of Bavois, Essert-Pittet and Corcelles-sur-Chavornay.[8]
