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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Collège Notre-Dame de Beaune, located in Côte-d'Or, is one of the last large Romanesque churches in Burgundy. Its construction began in the middle of the 12th century on a Clunysian model, ending in the early 13th century with a preserved stylistic unit. Canon buildings date from the late 12th century, while the porch was added in the mid 13th century. The building combines nave to low side, transept and choir with strolling, vaulted in broken cradle or warheads depending on the parts.

After the fire of 1272, major modifications were made: the Romanesque windows of the apse were replaced by filling gothic bays, and bow-buttons strengthened the structure. The chapels, added between the 13th and 16th centuries, include the chapel Saint-Léger (wall paintings) and the chapel Bouton (1529-1533). The Gothic arrow was replaced between 1580 and 1588 by an imperial roof designed by renowned architect Hugues Sambin.

The French Revolution destroyed part of the statuary and liturgical furniture, although a fragment of the Roman altar, rediscovered in 1843, is now exposed. Between 1860 and 1886, restorations led by Maurice Ouradou and supervised by Alphonse Forest altered the exteriors, including the removal of the bow-buttons of the cross tower. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc had prepared a quote in 1844. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1840, the church also houses a 16th century wall and 17th century organs, among the most beautiful of Burgundy.

The canonial ensemble includes a seven-span cloister, the former sacristy, and the chapel Saint-Michel, private oratory of Nicolas Rolin (cardinal and chancellor of Burgundy). This chapel, accessible by a corridor from the canonial buildings, presents an apse illuminated by a full-screen window and supported by a cul-de-lampe. The canonial buildings, partially preserved, are now used as a presbytery.

Among the notable works, The Adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1690), oil on canvas by Gabriel Revel, and the hanging of the Life of the Virgin (1500), offered by Canon Le Coq, illustrate the rich artistic heritage of the college. The large organs, with four keyboards and pedals, were modified several times but kept their 17th century carved buffet.

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