The Church of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist of Saulnot (ÃÂglise de la Décollation-de-Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is a Roman Catholic church located in Saulnot, Haute-Saône, France. It is distinguished by its pink hue, derived from the use of Vosges sandstone, and its red Comtois bell tower. The church houses five pieces of furniture listed or classified in the Palissy database.
The church is situated in the commune of Saulnot, in the southeastern part of the Haute-Saône department, within the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France.
It serves as the main church of the Sainte-Lucie parish, which falls under the deanery of Héricourt, part of the Diocese of Belfort-Montbéliard.
A parish church is recorded in Saulnot as early as the 12th century. The current structure was rebuilt in 1847, preserving the original bell tower. Prior to the French Revolution, the Abbot of Luxeuil held the right of presentation for the church. It is consecrated to the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
In 1832, a shaft for the local coal mines was dug near the church.
The church was damaged during bombardments from September to November 1944 and was reconstructed in 1946, retaining its 18th-century Comtois bell tower. At its base lie two tombs, including that of the last lord of Saulnot, Georges Janneot. The church contains a quadrangular holy water font from the 12th and 13th centuries.
The church is constructed using fine-grained pink Vosges sandstone, described as "fairly soft and of mediocre quality" in a material strength test. This sandstone was quarried locally by Messrs. Frahier and Bouvet. The same material was used for the Protestant temple in Bussurel.
The structure is further distinguished by its Comtois bell tower, covered with red glazed tiles characteristic of the region.
The church houses five items listed or classified in the Palissy database: