The village is in the south-western part of theAin department 33 km north ofLyon and 10 km east ofVillefranche-sur-Saône in the heart of theDombes region, which is known for its many lagoons. Ars-sur-Formans is on the Dombes Plateau, while to the west it borders the fertile hills of the Val de Saône. A small river, the Formans, runs from east to west across the commune just south of the village to join theSaône River nearSaint-Bernard.[3] The commune covers 5.50 km2 (2.12 sq mi).[4]
The D44 road fromSavigneux west toBeauregard forms much of the northern border of the commune. Access to the village is by road D904 going west from Savigneux and continuing to join the D934 west of the commune. The road D888 also runs south-east of the village toRancé.[3]
The name of the commune comes fromarsa ("burnt"). Long known simply asArs, the commune changed its name toArs-sur-Formans by a decree dated 12 October 1956, published in theOfficial Journal on the 18th of the same month.[5]
The nameArs appeared as early as the year 969. In the 11th century, Ars was one of the many strongholds of theLordship of Villars and his mansion was located next to the church. In 1226, Jean of Ars sold his land to the monastery ofÎle Barbe, but Villars retained sovereignty. In the 14th century, the protection of the castle was divided between the Lord of Villars and that of Beaujeu.
The village was burned by the troops of Viry in 1409 and was obliged to submit to the consequences of theWars of Religion throughout the following century.
The parish of Ars belonged to the Principality ofDombes and theChâtellenie ofTrévoux before being absorbed with all of the Dombes into theKingdom of France in 1762.
Since the mid-19th century, the name of Ars is associated withJean-Marie Vianney, the formerparish priest venerated as a saint by theCatholic Church. Well before his 1925canonisation byPope Pius XI, there were already many pilgrimages to the town. On 6 October 1986,Pope John Paul II travelled to Ars-sur-Formans as part of his third visit to France.
ThePresbytery of Saint Curé d'Ars (18th century)[28] Thepresbytery and chapel containing the preserved heartrelic of Saint Jean-Marie Vianney are now a museum open to visitors. The sanctuary and its activities are managed by theBenedictineTyburn Nuns and the Brothers of the Holy Family of Belley. 2009 marked the 150th death anniversary of Vianney; it was part of the Year for Priests that ended in 2010, and during that period the sanctuary hosted nearly 600,000 pilgrims including 35,000 priests. TheHistorial du Saint-Curé-d'Ars depicts the life story of the saint using 35 wax figures in 17 scenes, with period décor.[29] Ars is part of the Association of Sanctuaries in France, holding the title "Tourist Village of Ain".
TheParish Church of Saint-Sixte (11th century)[30] TheBasilica of Ars, partly built in 1862 by the Lyon architectPierre Bossan and his successor Sainte-Marie-Perrin, forms an extension to the old church. It enshrines the tomb of Saint Jean-Marie Vianney, who is honoured as thepatron saint of all parish priests. The basilica hosts more than 500,000 visitors annually.[31]
TheTomb of the heart of Jean-Marie Vianney (1932)[32]
The commune has a very large number of religious items that are registered as historical objects.[citation needed]
SeveralCatholic religious communities are present in Ars: the Working Missionary Sisters (Providence House); theFranciscan Sisters (Saint-Jean House); theCarmelite Sisters; theBenedictines of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre; the Brothers of the Holy Family of Belley; and priests of the Jean-Marie Vianney Society (who use the John Paul II Sacred Hall to receive priests and operate an international seminary).
Entrance to the underground Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde
Staircase to the underground Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde
Second Sunday in February: Feast of the Arrival of the Saint – recalls the arrival of Vianney at the Meeting Monument. Features solemnMass, procession,adoration of theBlessed Sacrament, andvespers withcatechism.
4 August (Vianney's death anniversary): Festival of the Holy Curé –lauds, Mass and procession, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, vespers, and a spiritual music concert
8 December:Feast of the Immaculate Conception – the village is decorated with many lights, and entertainment is available throughout the day.
Event at the Carmel of the Holy Curé of Ars (founded 1939)
In 1986 and 2007, the movie-art-recreation association made two films aboutCarmel of the Holy Curé of Ars in the film series "Relief of France: the Monasteries" and a paper onJohn Paul II, during his meeting with theCarmelites on 6 October 1986.[33]
^ab"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved24 March 2021.
^This archived document is visible in the video:Dialogue at Carmel of Saint Curé of Ars oncine-art-loisir.comArchived 22 November 2008 at theWayback Machine by Jean Claude Guerguy, Director(in French)
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