In church, a pew is just a pew, right? Well, not always. It can demonstrate a special status. Take the one in front, to the right of the central aisle in the nave of La Nativité church. Certainly better suited to long religious ceremonies, since it’s upholstered. But why? Because it was reserved for the exclusive use of marguilliers, the members of a parish’s factory council.
Hence its name: banc d’œuvre de la fabrique. Which certainly sounds more impressive than “bench upholstered front right”. Incidentally, the marguilliers ceased to exercise their posterior privilege almost 50 years ago. Has the bench since been occupied on a first-come, first-served basis?