Église Saint-Martin de Sillegny, Gothic church in Sillegny, France.
Église Saint-Martin de Sillegny is a 15th-century Gothic parish church with a massive fortified tower topped by a steep slate pyramid roof. Its grey and brown stone walls are pierced by pointed-arch windows, and a low iron fence runs in front. Inside, painted yellow ribs divide the vaulted stone ceiling into pointed arches, and frescoes of religious scenes, saints and floral motifs cover the walls.
The building was constructed in the 15th century and its bell tower was destroyed during the 16th century. The tower was later reconstructed in the 19th century with a new design.
The church is nicknamed "the little Sistine of Lorraine" and "the Sistine of the Seille" because frescoes cover most of its interior walls. Tradition holds that in 1540 a travelling Italian painter decorated the church with scenes from the Gospel and the Bible at the request of the village priest. In the presbytery, Saint Caesarius, deacon and martyr, patron saint of Roman emperors, is depicted.
The church stands in the village of Sillegny, in the Moselle department; the massive fortified tower is the landmark to look for when approaching. The building is a working parish church, so visits fit around services. The Last Judgement fresco was restored from 1945 to 1963, and further restoration work ran from 2002 to 2004.
The wall paintings were covered with whitewash around the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century. They were rediscovered in 1845, and the Messin artist Malardot then restored them over twenty years. The church and all its frescoes were classified as historical monuments on 9 May 1881.
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