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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, is an emblematic building combining Champagne and Burgundy styles. His first stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, the same year as that of Notre-Dame de Paris. The bell tower, started in the 13th century and finished in flamboyant Gothic style after 1546, peaks at 47 meters. Ranked a historical monument in 1862, the church is distinguished by its portal designed in 1575 by Jean Cherreau, architect of Joigny, and its three naves of twelve spans.

The stained glass windows, dating from the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries, have been classified as historical monuments since 1992. Among them, the Renaissance stained glass window of the chapel Notre-Dame-des-Vertus illustrates the life of the Virgin, while those of the Last Judgment (5th span) are attributed to Jean Cousin le Jeune. The church also houses notable sculptures, such as the 17th century eagle-lutrin or the group of La Mise au tombeau (XVIth century), classified in 1992 and coming from the monastery of the Premonstrated of Dilo.

The church bells, formerly seven (corresponding to the notes of the range), were partly melted during the Revolution. Among the survivors, the large bell of 1,850 kg (1766, recast in 1821) and a bell of 1504 named Chiméry (recast in 1946). The organs, built in 1739 by Marcellin Tribuot, were classified in 1997. The building has undergone major restorations, as in 2012 (carpent and roof for 2.4 million euros), or the laying of a new cross in 2016, replacing that of 1597 destroyed during the Revolution.

Inside there are nine chapels with various dedications (Notre-Dame-des-Vertus, Saint Nicholas, Saint Joseph, etc.), decorated with medieval statues, narrative stained glass windows and classified paintings. The pulpit to be preached from the sixteenth century, in carved oak, comes from the Priory of the Enfourchure. Among the remarkable paintings, La Madeleine (Pierre-Jacques Cazes, 18th century), gift of Prince François-Xavier de Saxony, or L-Adoration des Bergeurs (François-Guillaume Ménanet, 1790), saved from the Louvre reserves in 1810.

The church, owned by the commune, remains an active place of worship dependent on the parish of Sainte-Alpais (archdiocese of Sens-Auxerre). Its parish festival, celebrated on August 15 with fireworks, continues an ancestral tradition. Events such as a lottery in 1861 (100,000 F capital) or a gala game in 2011 contributed to its financing, highlighting its anchoring in local life.

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