For once a tile can give pleasure… Sylvain Lanfroy, the mayor (SE) of a village of 1,000 souls in the Marne called on citizen help to renovate the roof of the church in his town. Distraught by the costs of the entire renovation of the building, the pride of the village and the surrounding area dating from the 12th century and classified as a Historic Monument, the mayor of Saint-Amand-sur-Fion had a bright idea. Solicit the population and local businesses, offering to finance the renovation of the church, and in particular the repair of the roof of the building, in hard cash. With, in return for this donation, the immense joy of receiving a “souvenir tile” from the old roof. A tile on which an acronym is stencilled showing the church with the date of its construction. And for companies, in exchange for a donation, the possibility of putting their logo on the tarpaulins hung on the building’s scaffolding. “And there’s a lot of scaffolding,” jokes the mayor.
Receive, but also transmit: The donor can in turn write a small message with a marker, on the inside of the replacement tile. “That way, they will be discovered in 150 years by our grandchildren, when the roof will have to be changed again,” laughs the mayor. More than a century and a half? “The last renovation dates back to 1850. The idea is not only to renovate the church, including financing the roof, but also to show our institutional financiers, who are the State via the Ministry of Culture with the Heritage Foundation, the Grand-Est Region, the department, that this project mobilizes and interests the population, assures the mayor. That there is a life around the church to justify public funding a little. »
For this, the dynamic village created a page Facebook which allows you to follow the work, or even an association around the church organizes events. Subsidies which prove essential for the small village of 1,000 inhabitants because the total renovation of the church is estimated at 3 million euros, according to the mayor, in three successive periods of 1 million euros. For now, the first will be completed in spring 2023, during which the roof will be replaced.
An idea that appeals
A pious idea which “kindly entertains” its constituents, seduces the abbot, interests other mayors and appeal to the media. A full box that works. “We are at nearly 32,000 euros in donations, donations which allow tax exemption, out of a hoped-for total of 60,000 euros for the first phase of the work,” rejoices the mayor. On the new tiles, “some write a little word to signify the place where they united, others their name and a date, or even leave a poem,” explains Sylvain Lanfroy. “It’s a little wink of course, but it’s well taken, it’s very popular, the children love it.” Of course, the message will be written on the inside of the tile. “That way, they will be discovered in 150 years by our great-grandchildren, when the roof will have to be changed again,” laughs the elected official. In more than a century and a half? “The church, which belongs to the municipality, now requires major work. The last major renovation, the roof and certain stones, dates back to 1850,” explains Sylvain Lanfroy.
And for all those who want a divine tile, everything goes through heaven, via an online donation therefore, and the Heritage Foundation with which the village has partnered. All that remains for donors, once their good deed has been completed, is to come to the village town hall to collect their old tile and write a message on the new one. The opportunity above all to see the pretty houses of the village “made of beams, half-timbered like in Alsace”, underlines the mayor, but also to see the majestic vault and the choir of the church with its magnificent stained glass windows. » A holy idea…