Thank you - Ville d`Essey-lès

The project
A € 600,000 renovation project was drawn up and is now
underway. As the degradation of the tower/steeple
endangers the whole of the building, the work that will
begin this year, is the following:
- The tower will be consolidated and renovated:
- The former bay windows, which had been sealed off,
will be reopened;
- The bell and clock structure will be repaired and
updated with the addition of an anti vibration system;
- The four decaying floors of the tower will be replaced.
The second phase will include the conformity work in
the church itself:
- Repair of the leaks;
- A new electric system will be installed;
- Compliance with the latest safety rules of the whole
building.
Financing the project
Although St Georges church is “inscrit au titre des
monuments historiques”, it does not mean the State
pays for all restoration. This expensive project will be
financed thanks to an important contribution by the
Essey local authorities, by several public subsidies, and
by donations and sponsorship.
Being a project certified by the Cultural Heritage
Foundation1, the restoration and repair of St Georges
tower and church can benefit from support by patrons
or sponsors.
A call is made to all possible donors who can contribute
and help finance this vast restoration project.
If you want to donate, just complete the form on page 3
in the enclosed leaflet and you can send your cheque to
the Fondation du Patrimoine.
1 La Fondation du Patrimoine or Cultural Heritage foundation is
a private non-profit organization whose goal is to protect and develop heritage that is not protected by the State and is therefore
in danger of disappearing.
Thank you !
CONTACTS
Association AME
Monsieur Jean-Claude Laroche
Président de l’association Atelier Mémoire d’Essey
Hôtel de Ville
Place de la république
54270 Essey-les-Nancy • France
[email protected]
Ville d’Essey-les-Nancy
Philippe Mifsud
Hôtel de Ville
Place de la république
54270 Essey-les-Nancy • France
03 83 18 30 00
[email protected]
The St George church
restoration project
Fondation du Patrimoine
Hélène Gebauer
Chargée de communication
62 rue de Metz
54000 Nancy • France
06 17 02 01 21
[email protected]
in Essey-lès-Nancy • France
In the following centuries, more precisely in the 15th
century, the church building was extended in gothic
style; the height of the tower was raised; and side aisles,
a chapel, sacristies and a rectory were added. The town
cemetery was and still is all around the church.
Present condition of the building
Now Essey faces a tragic problem because of the very
poor condition of the tower. In the course of the last
twenty years, because of serious ground movement,
the foundation and the underground masonry were
weakened. In spite of steel propping, long vertical
cracks developed on the west and south sides and
two large and deep cracks can also be seen right in the
southwest angle. So, a long range rescue operation had
to be undertaken.
In the urban community of Nancy, the town of Essey
(maybe the oldest one) holds a gem that can be seen
on the top of the hill where it was erected. It is the
remarkable site of the Haut-Château and église St
Georges whose old tower is the second oldest building
of the whole community.
Under the National Heritage Code, St Georges church
is “inscrit au titre des monuments historiques”. This
means it is protected in the
category of buildings that
“present sufficient artistic
or historical interest such
as to make their preservation desirable”. It was
built on the hillside of the
“Ste Genevieve” mound,
a unique location, overlooking the town of Essey
and in fact all of Nancy.
According to the research carried out by Jean-Claude
Laroche in his work “Une Tour en peril”, the church
tower in its original form goes back to the 12th century.
At the origin, in the 12th century, the tower was the first
element and it was built in Romanesque style; a small
church was also built.