In the Jura, the church in the town of Orgelet, classified as a Historic Monument since 1913, has just been the victim of a theft of a copper gallows, damaging part of the building. Mayor Jean-Paul Duthion filed a complaint with the gendarmerie on September 21.
“Even our heritage is no longer spared from vandalism”deplored the Association for the Safeguarding of the Historical Heritage of Orgelet and its Region (Asphor), in a publication on Facebook. Indeed, this is not the first church in the region targeted by this type of theft: last August, copper elements were also stolen from the facade of the Saint-Laurent de la Roche church, in a neighboring town. And obviously, the subject goes beyond Franche-Comté.
On its website, the Ministry of Culture gives the phenomenon a systemic scale: “the transfer of delinquency towards metal theft, which is more profitable and less penalized, can also affect protected buildings: roofs, copper downpipes, decorative metal ornaments…”we can read on the “Safety and security of historic monuments” page. These thefts, less publicized and potentially more tolerated by public opinion than burglaries in museums, are no less costly for heritage. If they do not automatically harm the heritage value of the monument, they can undermine its authenticity by leading the authority responsible for its maintenance to replace the stolen materials with others, less expensive.
Copper is particularly attractive to criminals, firstly because of its high price, linked in particular to the sharp increase in its price, visible since at least 2024, but also for the advantages it offers, from the point of view of its ease of sale and the absence of traceability. As indicated in an activity report from the General Directorate of Heritage in 2023, churches, often located in rural areas, are prime targets for this type of theft. That year, the authors of the report noted an increase in the theft of copper gutters, removed from facades.
Last May, the north facade of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral in Bazas in Gironde, listed as a UNESCO world heritage site on the roads to Santiago de Compostela, was stripped of its copper gutters, leading to a complaint from the town hall. In Uzeste, in Gironde, those responsible for the collegiate church, the victim of four successive thefts, decided to replace the copper gutters with PVC elements. According to Éric Douence, president of the Friends of the Collegiate association, this solution represents an investment of 5,000 to 6,000 euros, compared to around 15,000 euros for a copper installation. In 2025, copper gutters were also stolen from a church in Loir-et-Cher, and from another located in the Rhône department.
