Mirecourt

INFORMATION

Font ID: 09573MIR
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Date: 1609
Font Century and Period/Style: 17th century(early)
Church / Chapel Name: Église Notre-Dame-en-sa-Nativité de Mirecourt / Eglise de la Nativité-de-Notre-Dame de Mirecourt
Font Location in Church: Inside the church
Church Patron Saint(s): The Nativity of St. Mary
Church Notes: 14thC church replaced a 12thC chapelle de la Oultre -- listed in Mérimée [ref.: PA00107203]: "1er quart 16e siècle ; 1ère moitié 17e siècle ; 18e siècle ; 3e quart 19e siècle"
Church Address: 6 Rue du Général Leclerc, 88500 Mirecourt, France
Site Location: Vosges, Grand Est, France, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off the D266, 25-30 km NW of Épinal
Historical Region: Lorraine
Additional Comments: disappeared font? (the one from the medieval chapel/church here) -- request for more info and images sent to the Mairie 13/5/2004 [no reply]
Font Notes:
Baptismal font dated to 1609 and claimed to be unique in France. Listed in Palissy [ref.: PM88000553]: "Fonts baptismaux [...] Marbre ; pierre ; fer [...] Cuve ovale en marbre noir moucheté de blanc portée sur trois pieds en pierre en forme de balustre. Le couvercle est en bois et est surmonté d'un petit clocheton à colonnettes également en bois. Ce couvercle se soulève au moyen d'un levier adapté à une potence en fer forgé [...] H = 200 ; la = 150 [...] Ces fonts doivent être contemporain de la niche où ils se trouvent et qui est datée de 1608." Illustrated in Mémoire [ref. AP88W01632]. The font and cover in its context is illustrated in a digital photograph taken 3 September 2019 by Ji-Elle [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Église_de_la_Nativité-de-Notre-Dame_de_Mirecourt_(4).jpg] [accessed 10 August 2025]. The font is noted and illustrated in Chez Guillaumette [http://chezlaguillaumette.com/blog/article-735-152404-perso-mirecourt-88-eglise-notre-dame-de-la-nativite.html] [accessed 10 August 2025]: "Les fonts baptismaux, en marbre, pierre, bois ouvragé et potence en ferronnerie, datent de 1609."
[NB: the font is indeed rather unique and it appears to be a composite object made of a very shallow oval -or is it oblong with rounded corners?- basin made of black marble, raised on three pedestal columns of square baluster shape with moulded sides; the large wooden cover is dome-shaped and matches the shape of the basin; it is hooked to a metal frame attached to the wall on the right side]

COORDINATES

UTM: 32U 287483 5353803
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 48.301692, 6.134197
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 48° 18′ 6.09″ N, 6° 8′ 3.11″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, marble
Font Shape: oval, mounted
Basin Exterior Shape: oval
Notes on Measurements: * some measurements in Palissy [cf. Fonts Notes]

LID INFORMATION

Date: 1608?
Material: wood
Apparatus: yes; side crane
Notes: [cf. FontNotes]

REFERENCES

  • France, Ministère de la culture, Inventaire Général, Mémoire / POP : la plateforme ouverte du patrimoine (Ministère de la culture, Inventaire Général), 2024. URL: https://www.pop.culture.gouv.fr/search/mosaic?base=%5B%22Photographies%20%28M%C3%A9moire%29%22%5D.
  • France, Ministère de la culture, Inventaire Général, Palissy (France, Ministère de la culture), France, Ministère de la culture. URL: http://www.culture.fr/public/mistral/palissy.