Pictures from the Past: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne

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1 Vincenian Heriage Journal Volume 33 Issue 2 Aricle 6 Fall Picures from he Pas: Châillon-sur-Chalaronne John E. Rybol C.M., Ph.D. DePaul Universiy, jrybol@depaul.edu Follow his and addiional works a: hp://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj Recommended Ciaion Rybol, John E. C.M., Ph.D. (2016) "Picures from he Pas: Châillon-sur-Chalaronne," Vincenian Heriage Journal: Vol. 33 : Iss. 2, Aricle 6. Available a: hp://via.library.depaul.edu/vhj/vol33/iss2/6 This Aricle is brough o you for free and open access by he Vincenian Journals and Publicaions a Via Sapieniae. I has been acceped for inclusion in Vincenian Heriage Journal by an auhorized edior of Via Sapieniae. For more informaion, please conac mbernal2@depaul.edu, wsulliv6@depaul.edu.

2 Picures from he Pas: Châillon-sur-Chalaronne JOHN E. RYBOLT, C.M., PH.D. QQQ QQ QQQQ QQQ QQ QQQQ previous BACK TO CONTENTS Newsnoes

3 Scenic poscard views of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue; Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL Turn-of-he-cenury aerial views of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue The own of Châillon daes from 1273, bu he area was inhabied for cenuries before. The name Châillon, meaning lile casle, refers o he one buil on he Roman sie called pagus dumbarum. The remains of he foureenh-cenury casle are sill visible on he hill above he own. The name of he own in Vincen s day was Châillonles-Dombes, ha is, he Châillon a he Dombes, he Dombes being he small ponds lef in he region afer he glacial period. Mos of hese ponds lie souh and eas of he own. The name of he own oday means Châillon on he Chalaronne, referring o he small river flowing hrough he own norh o he Saône River. The own numbers abou 4000 inhabians, wice he size i was in his ime. Before he own exised here were wo parishes in he region, Fleurieux o he wes and Buénans o he eas. These gradually los heir imporance as Châillon grew. Alhough Vincen was pasor of Buénans and Châillon, which depended on Buénans, and was also prior of Fleurieux, he lived in he newer own. The disincion beween his wo churches had lile meaning. The Buénans church disappeared in he eigheenh cenury, and ha of Fleurieux a he ime of he Revoluion. In Vincen s ime in Châillon, formerly par of Bresse, and French only since 1601, is inhabians mainly spoke Bressan, a franco-provençal dialec ha heir pasor had o learn.

4 View of he casle walls leading o he own below. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue. The chronology of Vincen s few monhs in Châillon is spelled ou below. All auhors agree ha his moives for leaving he Gondi household o come here are unclear, bu hey poin o Madame de Gondi as one of he reasons. I seems very likely ha rich, beauiful, powerful, pious, and emoionally needy as she was, Marguerie came o occupy oo much of Vincen s ime and emoional energy. In addiion, he and his wo employers were pracically of he same age. He wroe, however: I used o hold i as a maxim o consider he General in God and God in him, and o obey him as God, and his lae wife as he Virgin. 1 He also noed ha one of he qualiies ha a chaplain in a noble house should have is ha he should be very chase. 2 In his dangerous emoional and spiriual mix, he 36-year old pries undoubedly had o break free o make his own way. He was sill nominally he pasor of Clichy, bu he underook o become he pasor of Châillon as well. Why he came o Châillon and no somewhere else is probably a quesion of circumsance: he own needed a pasor and Vincen was available. The inermediary for geing his informaion o him was very likely he Oraorian François Bourgoing, who had preceded Vincen a Clichy. In Châillon, Vincen founded he Confraerniy of Chariy. This, he firs of his major works, began as a response o a pressing need. He laer recouned for he Daughers of Chariy wha happened here, bu he accouns differ in several deails. Abelly, his firs biographer, adding some deails, made he resuling accoun less clear bu more coheren. In any case, Vincen found i necessary o organize he response of he ladies of he parish o similar needs in he fuure. Besides he confraerniy, he also did much good in srenghening priesly life, religious insrucion, he proper celebraion of he sacramens and generally gave good example of a Chrisian life. 1 Leer 244, To Rober de Sergis, in Roye, 29 Sepember 1636, in Vincen de Paul: Correspondence, Conferences, Documens, ed. and rans. by Jacqueline Kilar, D.C., Marie Poole, D.C., e al, 1-14 (New York: New Ciy Press, ), 1:344. See: hp://via.library.depaul.edu/vincenian_ebooks/25/ Hereafer cied as CCD. 2 Conference 14, Minisry of Chaplain in he Service of a Nobleman, CCD, 11:20. See: hp:// via. library. depaul. edu/ vincenian _ebooks/37/

5 An eching and phoograph illusraing he façade of he church of Sain André. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue; Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL Poscard views of he inerior of he church of Sain André. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue Imporan Vincenian sies in Châillon The Church of Sain André This building daes from he fifeenh cenury bu succeeds one or more earlier churches daing from I is colorful, wih is brick facade, clock, rose window, and red ile roof, and i is excepionally high for a church in his region. A curious ocagonal ower (from 1736) encloses he bells. Inside i is in Flamboyan Gohic syle, bu he furnishings (such as he main alar, saues, and organ, represen laer syles, afer Vincen s ime. On eiher side of he sancuary and he nave are foureen chapels, a surprisingly large number, buil and decoraed by he rich families of he area or by various guilds. Some of hese chapels now have oher uses, bu heir exisence poins o he large number of clergy a various imes associaed wih his church. These were responsible for celebraing weekly or monhly masses for specific inenions, and hey lived from he endowmens of hese chapels. In Vincen s day, abou five of hese priess lived in Châillon. The sained-glass windows in he sancuary were done in o commemorae he foundaion, in Châillon, of he firs Confraerniy of Chariy. Oher windows recall Vincen s career. During a renovaion of he church underaken in 1966, some coas-of-arms were brough o ligh ha had no been compleely effaced a he ime of he Revoluion. These show he dae 1615, ha is, before Vincen s brief pasorae, and designae he La Chassaigne and Bache de Mizériac families. Colle, Vincen s second biographer, idenified Madame de La Chassaigne as he one who urged him o speak abou he needs of he sick poor in

6 Early phoograph of he nave of he church. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue. Poscard feauring he sained-glass windows of he church. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue. his homily. She was one of he firs members of he Confraerniy of Chariy in Châillon, and her family casle can be seen beween Châillon and he nearby own of Neuville-Les- Dames. The presen casle, however, daes only from he nineeenh cenury. In a space under he roof above he nave, accessible hrough a sairway opening in he body of he church, is an area used in imes pas by he many prêres sociéaires. These were he priess whose principal responsibiliy was o celebrae he canonical hours in church wih he pasor, and o say mass occasionally for he depared in one or oher of he foureen side chapels. Menioned as early as 1433, hese clergy were forbidden o exercise cerain pasoral minisries hose belonged o he official pasor and hey consequenly passed heir ime in some idleness. They used o mee in he upper area, probably for companionship. The windows of his area, however, can be seen from ouside he church, on he marke side, paricularly a nigh. Tongues wagged in he own, and i was widely, hough probably incorrecly, assumed ha he priess were engaged in immoral or a leas idle pursuis in heir upper meeing room, commonly called he Kingdom. One open quesion is he use of he rie of Lyons in Châillon. For cenuries, he primaial see of Lyons had is own disincive usages of he Roman Rie. Wheher Vincen followed his usage is unknown. He never referred o i. An old invenory of one of he chapels, however, liss liurgical iems proper o his rie, leading o he conclusion ha i had been followed here. The Marke This seveneenh-cenury marke adjoining he parish church is buil mainly of wood. The previous marke burned in he own fire of 1670 ha also desroyed mos of he houses. Is vas roof ress on 32 pillars made from runks of individual oak rees from a nearby fores. Old houses surround he markeplace.

7 Anoher early phoograph of he nave from a wider perspecive. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue. Turn-of-he-cenury poscard of he own s covered marke. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL The Former Hospial, wih is Anique Pharmacy A hospial (more correcly, a hospice for impoverished pilgrims and beggars) exised here from before I was resored in 1432, was nearly in ruins in 1614, and was compleely rebuil in The main sairway is noeworhy. Maerials for he rebuilding, including he church bell, were aken from he old church of Buénans, among oher places. Eiher in he (previous) chapel of his hospial, or in anoher one, he Chapelle des Péniens (locaed jus behind he hospial and aken down in 1900), he firs Confraerniy of Chariy was founded on 8 December Is original membership, in Augus, consised of nine women bu grew o hireen by he dae of is December founding. Jean Beynier was appoined he reasurer. Besides Vincen, hree priess aended, all inhabians of Châillon and aached o he parish church. The presen chapel was opened in Inside is a paining of Blessed Vincen de Paul, also daing from Alhough no a wonderful work, i esifies o he veneraion for him in he own. Above he main alar is anoher paining of Vincen bringing he eucharis o a person sick in bed. This rare depicion may have been aken from one of he many copies of he Lord of Chariy, a canvas prepared for he Confraerniies of Chariy during his lifeime. The anique pharmacy is mainained as a reminder of how old pharmacies worked. A ripych, pained in 1527, is also on view. I represens, among oher hings, he burial of Chris, and i was probably in he church in Vincen s day. A large seaed saue of he sain, daing from 1855, is locaed in he Place S. Vincen de Paul in fron of he hospial. The saue, a gif of he Sociey of Sain Vincen de Paul,

8 Poscard view of he hospial of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL Poscards feauring he saue of Vincen locaed in he Place S. Vincen de Paul a he fron of he hospial. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL bears several inscripions: Good people of Châillon: wherever I go, you will always be presen o me before God. Sain Vincen de Paul, pasor of Châillon in Ereced 29 Sepember 185[5]. Inscripions on he saue iself menion ha i was designed by E. Cabuche in 1854, and poured by he foundry of Eck and Durand in I was ereced wih solemn ceremonies Sepember (A saue of he same design, daed 1827, is found in he church of Sain Sulpice in Paris.) Behind his square is he former Ursuline conven, founded here in The Home of Vincen de Paul By he side of he markeplace sands he house where Vincen lived. This was originally wo houses, now joined ino one. Tha on he righ was used by he pasor and he sociéaires, and ha on he lef belonged o Jean Beynier, Vincen s hos. The priess residence had been leased o a layman, bu Vincen was able o ge i back. The effecive dae of his seems o have been 11 November 1617, abou a monh before he lef. His room in Beynier s house has been d and urned ino he chapel for he Daughers of Chariy. They bough he house and he old adjoining presbyery in 1878 a he urging of he bishop and local pasor. The saircase and cerain doors dae from Vincen s ime. In he chapel are shown facsimiles of he original rule of he Confraerniy, signed by him in 1617, and oher documens. The large paining on he back wall, compleed in 1883, furnished he subjec for he main sained glass window in he parish church, depicing he foundaion of he Confraerniy of Chariy. A large paining of he radiional subjec of Vincen and he foundlings in he snow, a gif from Napoleon III in 1868, was moved from he church and is now locaed in he sisers home. The original of his paining, compleed

9 Poscards feauring views of he exerior of Vincen de Paul s home Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL A view of he owers and rampars of he casle. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue by Nicolas-André Monsiau ( ) abou 1817, popularized he pre-revoluionary saue by Souf and is he source of he common images of Vincen and he children in he snow. The Casle Only he walls and small gaes remain of he old brick and sone casle, daing from he 1270s in is earlies par. Is prominen locaion above he own looking down ono he valleys of he Relevan and he Chalaronne poin o he sraegic imporance of he own in ages pas. Formerly aached o Savoy, his area became par of France in The casle had been desroyed definiively on 10 May 1595 in he bales leading o his change of governmen. Below he casle is an ineresing resored building, formerly he old sal sores. I had been a par of he ancien village clusered around he foo of he casle before is charer as a own in The Villars Gae This ancien gae leads ou of he own oward he eas and leads o he ciy of Villars. Traces of he mechanism for he old drawbridge are visible. The presen gae is he bespreserved piece of miliary archiecure in his region.

10 Several poscard views and an eching of he Pore de Villars. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; S. Vincen de Paul Image Archive Online The Bridges Five small bridges and one covered passageway span he Chalaronne. These have been beauifully decoraed wih flowers in recen summers, and small boas filled wih flowers have also been placed in he sream. Châillon s energies earned i he highes awards in a Europe-wide cones for floral decoraion. One new bridge, on he Avenue Clémen Desormes, is called he Buénans bridge, inasmuch as i leads o ha old selemen. Only a few houses remain in Buénans, he main own where Vincen had been appoined pasor. In his day, he main parish was Sain Marin of Buénans, and is chapel was he Châillon church. A small plaque on highway D2 recalls Vincen s pasorae, bu nohing remains of he church. Is sones were removed in he eigheenh cenury for oher uses. A small farm is confidenly poined ou as he residence of heir sainly pasor, bu no evidence for his exiss apar from local radiion. He may have lived here before aking possession of he pasor s house in Châillon, 11 November The own of Buénans has ceased o exis. Environs Ouside of Châillon, on D17 o he souh, is Maladières. In he Middle Ages his was a hospice for lepers, cared for by he Fleurieux parish. I is believed ha i was a his small

11 An eching of he scenic flower gardens along he Chalaronne. S. Vincen de Paul Image Archive Online Views of he chapel inside Vincen de Paul s home. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue farm ha he poor people lived whose sad condiion was repored o him. His response and ha of his parishioners led o he Confraerniy of Chariy, an organizaion ha sill exiss in he parish. The presen house daes only from he nineeenh cenury. Some disance o he eas is Pérouges, named by Celic refugees from he Romans, homesick for heir naive Perugia in Ialy. In he nineeenh cenury he use of home looms declined, he former weavers houses were unsuiable for farm workers, and hen he railroads bypassed Pérouges, se on a hill above Meximieux. Consequenly, he populaion of Pérouges depared, and he own was lef as i had been in medieval imes. Is rough cobblesone srees and open spaces offered auhenic locaions for he film Monsieur Vincen, for one of he many Three Muskeeers films, and for ohers. The Place du Tilleul and he Rue des Rondes in paricular are worh visiing. Because of is medieval appearance, he own has decided agains allowing many modern elemens, such as elecric lighs and wires, on he frons of buildings. The parish church of Saine Marie Madeleine was buil a he beginning of he fifeenh cenury and conains several fine examples of religious sculpure. Despie is museum-like characer, Pérouges numbers abou 900 people. Coun Balhazar de Rougemon was one of Vincen s noable successes in Châillon. This aggressive duelis was convered o religion, lived a very pious life, and sold his Rougemon propery for he sake of he poor. He had a casle a Chandée, norh of Vandeins, now a own of 1000 people. Vincen visied him here, where he nobleman recouned he dramaic sory of his ac of deachmen when he smashed his sword agains a rock. The ancien casle no longer exiss. Eas of Vandeins is Bourg-en-Bresse, an imporan ciy of some 40,000. The Congregaion of he Mission had a house here from 1701 o Is purpose was originally o give rereas for clergy and laiy, as well as missions. The founder of he

12 Turn-of-he-cenury poscard picuring he casle ower and walls locaed above Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL house, a diocesan pries, had been ouched by he original inspiraion of Vincen, and he sough o bring he advanages of ha charism o his region. The house concenraed, in fac, on missions. Souheas of Châillon is Ars-sur-Formans, he renowned pasorae of Jean Bapise Marie Vianney ( ), known familiarly as he Curé of Ars. His parish church and residence have been preserved. Alhough Vincen had nohing o do wih Ars, he is veneraed here, and Vianney kep engravings of his fellow pasor in his home, where hey remain. Today, Ars, like Lourdes, lives off pilgrimages. I has a populaion of abou 900. Vincen de Paul in Châillon: Chronology May: Pasoral visi by he archbishop of Lyons, who finds he church in good repair, and he priess residences as well, alhough he hospial was in poor condiion. There are some 900 parishioners a his ime Ocober: The archbishop of Lyons wries o Pierre de Bérulle, suggesing ha Châillon be given o he Oraorians. Bérulle, heir founder, mus have suggesed Jean Lourdelo, who became pasor 7 January April: Lourdelo resigns his pasorae of Sain Marin of Buénans and is dependency, Sain André of Châillon. He does no resign he parish o anyone in paricular, bu leaves he space blank in he documen for insering he name of his successor laer. 26 May: Invenory of he furnishings of he chapel of he Ladies of he Holy Rosary, perhaps he nucleus of he Confraerniy of Chariy. The furnishings of his chapel in he Châillon church were abundan and in good condiion.

13 The own hospial wih he saue of a seaed Vincen de Paul in he foreground. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL May-June: The canon-couns of Lyons, emporal lords of Châillon, again ask he Oraorians o propose a successor. Bérulle suggess Vincen. July: Vincen visis Lyons, asking for informaion on Châillon. 29 July: Vincen de Paul, a pries, bachelor in heology, of he diocese of Dax, is named pasor. He remains pasor of Clichy. 1 Augus: Vincen de Paul, pries and bachelor in holy and sacred heology, of he diocese of Dax, akes possession on a Tuesday afernoon of Buénans and Châillon, in he company of wo priess associaed wih he parish, Jean Besson and Pierre Genoud. Augus: The own council agrees o pay Vincen and he sociéaires a regular salary. 16 Augus: Louis Giraud (or Girard, his spelling), docor in heology, joins Vincen as his assisan. On he same day, Vincen signs he bapismal regiser as curé for he firs ime. 20 Augus: Exhoraion a Sunday mass in favor of he sick a Maladières. [Probable dae] 23 Augus: Charer meeing of he Confraerniy of Chariy. Sepember: Monsieur de Gondi wries his wife wih he news of Vincen s inenion no o reurn o heir household. Ocober: Monsieur Du Fresne, secreary of Monsieur de Gondi and a friend of Vincen s, comes o ask him o reurn o Paris. Vincen hen goes o Lyons o consul wih Monsieur Jean Bence, superior of he Oraorians, as o wheher he should leave Châillon. 13 Ocober: Monsieur de Gondi receives a leer from Vincen, wrien in Lyons, announcing a brief rip o Paris o help him discern his fuure. 24 November: The archbishop of Lyons approves he rules of he Confraerniy of Chariy (a name aken in imiaion of he hospial of Chariy in Rome). 3 December: Vincen celebraes his las bapism in his parish. (He celebraed only four bapisms during his period; his associae, Girard, did he majoriy of hem.)

14 Early phoograph of a shrine honoring Vincen de Paul in he chapel inside his home. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue 8 December: Formal esablishmen of he Confraerniy, consising of welve noble or bourgeois women, one servan. Elecion of officers, done in he presence of hree priess: Jean Besson, Jean Benonier, and Hugues Rey, sociéaires of he church in Châillon. 12 December: Revision of he rules. Signed: V. Depaul, curé. Four more members join. 15 December: Vincen gives o Charloe de Brie, he reasurer, an accoun book sill in exisence. I records he firs meeing of he Confraerniy. 18 December: Vincen leaves he parish o reurn o Paris. 23 December: Vincen reaches Paris, afer abou five monhs in Châillon January: Second meeing of he Confraerniy of Chariy in Châillon. 31 January: Vincen formally resigns as pasor of Châillon. 18 July: Louis Giraud, Vincen s associae, succeeds him as pasor of Buénans and Châillon. QQQ QQ QQQQ skip gallery

15 Scenic poscard views of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue; Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

16 Turn-of-he-cenury aerial views of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

17 View of he casle walls leading o he own below. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

18 An eching and phoograph illusraing he façade of he church of Sain André. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue; Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

19 Poscard views of he inerior of he church of Sain André. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

20 Poscard feauring he sained-glass windows of he church. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

21 Early phoograph of he nave of he church. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

22 Anoher early phoograph of he nave from a wider perspecive. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

23 Turn-of-he-cenury poscard of he own s covered marke. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

24 Poscard view of he hospial of Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

25 Poscards feauring he saue of Vincen locaed in he Place S. Vincen de Paul a he fron of he hospial. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

26 Poscards feauring views of he exerior of Vincen de Paul s home. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

27 A view of he owers and rampars of he casle. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

28 Several poscard views and an eching of he Pore de Villars. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL; S. Vincen de Paul Image Archive Online

29 An eching of he scenic flower gardens along he Chalaronne. S. Vincen de Paul Image Archive Online

30 Views of he chapel inside Vincen de Paul s home. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue

31 Turn-of-he-cenury poscard picuring he casle ower and walls locaed above Châillon-sur-Chalaronne. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

32 The own hospial wih he saue of a seaed Vincen de Paul in he foreground. Vinceniana Collecion, DePaul Universiy Special Collecions, Chicago, IL

33 Early phoograph of a shrine honoring Vincen de Paul in he chapel inside his home. Image collecion of he Vincenian Sudies Insiue