Church of Saint Maurice, 18th-century Baroque church in Ebersmunster, France.
The Church of Saint Maurice is a baroque church building topped by two slender towers with green-glazed onion domes. The interior follows a rectangular layout that blends medieval traditions with baroque decoration.
The Benedictine abbey of Ebersmunster dates to the 7th century, one of the oldest in Alsace. The present church, completed in 1727, replaced a 17th-century predecessor. It is usually attributed to Peter Thumb of Vorarlberg, though evidence suggests Franz Beer von Bleichten led the work. In 2004 cracks in the eastern Tour des païens led to steel supports in 2007 and restoration from 2009 to 2010.
The ceiling paintings (1730–1733) show the legends of Saint Maurice in the nave, by Josef Mattes, and of Saint Benedict in the choir, transept and crossing, by Joseph Mages. Tyrolean craftsmen also made the choir stalls and confessionals; the Samson on the pulpit is attributed to Clemens Winterhalder. From May to July the church hosts the concert series Les Heures Musicales d'Ebersmunster, whose proceeds go to its restoration.
The church is accessible on foot from the village and can be visited during opening hours. Group tours are available by advance reservation to better understand the interior and its artworks.
The organ built by Andreas Silbermann in 1730 retains all its original pipes and sounds warmer and fuller than modern instruments because of its larger pipe scale. This historic instrument reveals how music sounded in the baroque church.
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