Tombeau de saint Euchaire (église Saint-Pierre)

Liverdun

Liverdun, perched in a bend of the Moselle, keeps the tomb of one of the most venerated martyrs of Lorraine. According to tradition, Euchaire, a Christian from a noble family linked to the region of Grand, was arrested at Pompey during the persecution attributed to the Emperor Julian the Apostate; his sisters Libaire and Suzanne and his brother Élophe are said to have perished before him, in October 361 and 362. Beheaded on 22 October 362 at the "field of tombs" near Pompey, Euchaire is then said, so the legend goes, to have picked up his head and made his way to Liverdun to choose his burial place there — he belongs to the long family of cephalophore saints, in the image of Saint Denis. His cult made the place an important pilgrimage: it was to house his relics that the church of Saint-Pierre was raised in 1177–1178, at the turning point between Romanesque and Gothic, listed as a monument historique in 1924. In the side aisle, a 16th-century tomb niche holds the saint's effigy, shown holding his head in his hands; hidden for centuries behind panelling, it was only rediscovered in 1887. The work is sometimes linked to the circle of the Toul canon Jean Pèlerin. The pilgrimage of Saint Euchaire, in October, long set the rhythm of life in the town, whose lanes, fortified gateway and views over the Moselle today make up one of the prettiest hilltop villages in Meurthe-et-Moselle.

Getting there : Place d'Armes, in the upper village of Liverdun; free visit on request; the tomb niche and effigy of Saint Euchaire are in the side aisle of the church

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound