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Origin and history

The mausoleum of Burgundy, located in the cemetery of Bourgogne-Fresne (Marne, Grand Est), was commissioned by Marie-Théodorine Zoé Promsy, widow of Jean-Marie Léon Faynot, magistrate who died in 1895. Inspired by the Byzantine art of Mausoleum Galla Placidia in Ravenna, its construction began in 1898 under the direction of the architect Octave Courtois-Suffit, Grand Prix of Rome. The project, interrupted by a dispute and the death of Mrs. Faynot in 1906 (her body was immersed in the sea during a trip to the Holy Land), was completed in 1914 by her heirs. The building, made of stone similar to that of the Cathedral of Reims, combines an external sobriety and an inner opulence: mosaics, rare marbles (Carrare, red porphyry, onyx), and a central statue of Judge Faynot carved by Gustave Michel.

During World War I, the mausoleum escaped destruction despite German occupation. The soldiers frequently visited him, and some elements (such as the vault lead scoop) were looted. After the Armistice, he served as a temporary church for the village, whose church had been destroyed. Spared during the Second World War, it was classified as a historical monument in 2025 (after an inscription in 2020) for its exceptional architecture and decor, illustrating the French religious art of the late nineteenth century.

Inside, organized in Greek cross surmounted by a dome, blends Christian symbols (Trinity, Last Judgment, Life Cycles) and floral motifs. The stained glass windows, signed by Georges Rochegrosse, and the mosaics, restored since 2011 by the Association for the Safeguarding of the Monument, earned the building the award The Golden Gest in 2016. The marbles, initially chosen by Mrs Faynot in Greece, could not be installed during her lifetime. Today, the mausoleum remains a unique testimony of private patronage and artistic eclecticism of the time, combining Byzantine style, Art Nouveau, and traditional techniques.

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