Gilles Tixador, Mayor of Saint-Anastasie, and Alain Béchard, President of “2022, Apside & Coé” inside the church. Midi Libre – Y. B.
La partie des décors du XVIIe siècle effacée après les inondations de septembre 2002. Midi Libre – Y. B.
On September 2, 2024, the Russan church, a 17th-century building in the commune of Sainte-Anastasie, was chosen by Stéphane Bern to benefit from the Heritage Lottery. A helping hand for a necessary renovation.
On September 2, 2024, it was while sitting on a roof during a construction site that the mayor of Sainte-Anastasie Gilles Tixador learned the news from journalists: the 17th-century Russan church (built in 1681) had been selected for the Heritage Lottery. A €130,000 boost from presenter Stéphane Bern warms the hearts of members of the local association “2022, Apside & Co”.
Its president Alain Béchard, who has installed an increasingly well-stocked nativity scene in the church for the fourth year, recalls the renovation project: “This local heritage is slowly deteriorating due to the installation in the 1950s of a concrete slab that traps humidity.”
The church of Russan was built in 1681. Midi Libre – Y. B.
The work, costing €1.4 million, should make it watertight (repairing the roof, facades and resuming drainage), demolishing the concrete paving to restore the original floor, and restore the interior. It should be remembered that in September 2002, during the terrible flooding of the Gardon, water entered the church, erasing the paintings on the walls nearly three meters high.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000No services since the floods of 2002
Since this episode, no religious services have been held. The church was opened during the Heritage Days, at the end of the year for the nursery, to a group of cycle tourists, to high school students from Dhuoda, to a choir to take advantage of the acoustics during rehearsals.
The chapel of the church to be renovated. Midi Libre – Y. B.
On site, even before the renovation begins, we are planning what the place will be like, “a place of worship, culture, open”. Future visitors will be able to admire the decorations “from the 17th century, an evocation of the Stations of the Cross, others from the 19th century”. Works inspired by the neoclassical style. The building is a single-nave construction with two chapels that form a transept, a construction covered with a barrel vault supported by a double vault. The large painting by the painter Xavier Sigalon from 1807, listed as a Historic Monument, has been restored and is currently on display at the town hall.
This building is a favorite of Alain Béchard: “I was baptized here, an altar boy and I am passionate about heritage. When I passed by the church, I told myself that something had to be done. This project is close to my heart.” In the fall of 2020, the president of the association met with the mayor, the Nîmes architect Mr. Bruguerolles who had carried out a preliminary study, then the departmental head of the Heritage Foundation, the one that selected the project which can benefit from donations.
Three-part project
Then, there was the boost from the Heritage Lottery in September 2024. A great promotion for the church. “Before I became mayor in 2014, this renovation of the church was a pipe dream, an election campaign issue!”, confides Gilles Tixador. After some disappointments, the 1,600 inhabitants of the village can hope for the renovation of the church: “If we are selected by the Heritage Lottery, it is proof of the seriousness of our project”, adds the councilor. Alain Béchard and his team of enthusiasts, composed of Dimitri Aubin and Lilain Euzeby, are closely monitoring the progress of the file.
In particular, additional studies from the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs will be required for the decorations. The construction site will be divided into three phases. All that remains is to find a project manager and architects before starting the renovation of the roof, the façade, and then the slab. The call for tenders will be launched in March, which will allow work to begin in 2026. The mayor hopes, beyond financial support from partners, for a tax exemption, and remains cautious about the end date of the work. The renovation is no longer in doubt.
The nativity scene of the church of Russan in Sainte-Anastasie is still visible on January 11 and 12 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. I subscribe to read the rest