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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-de-Bethléem de Clamecy, located between the quay of Bethlehem and the road to Armes, replaces a previous church built in 1869 and demolished in 1926. It was built in 1926-1927 by the architect Georges Théodore Renaud, then consecrated on 23 April 1927 by the bishop of Nevers, Bishop Pierre Chatelus. Its architecture in armed cement is inspired by the Byzantine style, evoking the history of the bishops of Bethlehem exiled in Clamey after the fall of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem.

The monument recalls that, from the 13th to the 18th century, fifty bishops of Bethlehem succeeded themselves in Clamech after their exile from Palestine. The crypt, decorated with murals made in the 1950s by Abbé Nicolas Boon and Robert Pouyaud, illustrates scenes of the life of the Virgin. The church, decommissioned in 1966, was acquired by the city of Clamecy in 2002.

The building, classified as a historic monument in 2000, is the third reinforced concrete church built in France. Its rectangular plan, low dome and octagonal bell tower reflect Romano-Byzantine inspiration. The western facade, decorated with a mosaic representing the Nativity, is surmounted by a shield with the arms of the bishops of Bethlehem.

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