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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Collège Notre-Dame de Montréal, located in the present-day Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, was built in the 12th century by the seigneurs of Montreal, at a pivotal time between Romanesque and Gothic styles. Anseric II founded in 1068 a chapter of canons, transforming a modest seigneurial church into a collegiate church dedicated to Saint Mary. His grandson, Anséric III, who went on a crusade in 1146 on the call of Bernard de Clairvaux, vowed to build a new church if he returned alive. From 1150 on, he started the construction of the current building, completed by his son Anseric IV. The collegiate church, symbol of seigneurial power, now houses carved stalls of the sixteenth century, offered thanks to a gift from Francis I in 1521.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for collegiate society. It became a national well in 1794 and was transformed into a temple of supreme being: its tympanum was hammered, its stalls partially destroyed, and its walls covered with republican inscriptions. Despite the pressures, the inhabitants of Montreal, nicknamed "little Vendée" for its resistance, clandestinely maintained Catholic worship. The forced coexistence between Catholic and revolutionary cults ceased under the Empire, rendering the building to the faithful. In the 19th century, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, seduced by his "architectural jewel", obtained his classification at historical monuments in 1846 and directed his restoration, saving the building from a certain ruin.

The architecture of the college reflects its transition period. Its Latin cross plan, its dogive vaults in the nave (gothic) and its vaulted bottoms (romans) make it a rare witness. The sober stone façade of Coutarnoux is rhythmic by a balanced portal and one of the oldest rosettes in France, compared by Viollet-le-Duc with that of Notre-Dame de Paris. The tympanum, destroyed at the Revolution, once wore a bas-relief replaced by a republican inscription still visible. Inside, the 48 renaissance stalls (1530–1550), attributed to the Rigolley brothers, combine biblical scenes with ancient motifs, while a 15th-century English altarpiece, partially stolen in 1971, recalls the artistic exchanges of the time.

The college remains a living place. In the 20th century, it was classified in 1846 and benefited from restorations carried out by local associations, such as the Friends of the Collegiate (founded in 1990), which preserved its furniture and acoustics. Each year, it hosts pilgrims, tourists, and the historic "Montreal in Light" show since 2006. The bells, installed above the gate above after the destruction of several bell towers (the last one in 1704), still make the life of the village rhythm. Its history, linked to the Anseric family, François I and Viollet-le-Duc, makes it an emblematic monument of medieval and reborn Burgundy.

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