Saints Peter and Paul Church

The history of Bennwihr's church is marked by several destructions and reconstructions. Destroyed in 1498, a new church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1507, but it suffered damage before being completely demolished in December 1944. Today, only a calvary and an engraved stone from 1779, along with a cross from 1890, remain visible on an exterior wall of the current church, beneath the arches separating the bell tower from the main building.

After World War II, the predominantly Catholic inhabitants built a temporary church in October 1946, shaped like a shed topped with a small bell tower, before inaugurating the permanent church in 1959. Designed by architects Pierre Pouradier-Duteil and Georges Pillon, it symbolizes the village's rebirth, funded by private donations and war reparations. Renovated in 1997 by Jacques Prioleau, the contemporary church is distinguished by its roof with Burgundy-patterned tiles and its layout in three parts.

The nave houses stained glass windows depicting symbols of Christ's Resurrection, created by glassmaker Martineau, as well as a Carrara marble altar, a glorified Christ, and a Virgin Mary statue, works by sculptor Kepplin. To the left of the choir, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary displays two statues saved from the church destroyed in 1944. The Stations of the Cross and the circular baptistery, adorned with colored glass slabs, complete the interior. Outside, a 42-meter sandstone bell tower, built from stones of destroyed buildings, rises with four openings allowing optimal sound diffusion of the bells.