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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativity church of Bois-Sainte-Marie is an emblematic monument of Romanesque art in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. Located in the department of Saône-et-Loire, it is distinguished by its semicircular apse bedside adorned with lumbar bands and its walk-through rhythmic columns. The choir, dating from about 1050, and the transept with the nave, built in the early twelfth century, bear witness to its medieval origin. Its octagonal bell tower, typical of Romanesque architecture, houses a pre-revolutionary bell melted in 1715.

Ranked among the first French historic monuments in 1862, the church benefited from a major restoration in 1848 under the direction of Millet. This intervention was made possible thanks to the patronage of Marie-Louise de Roca-Rambuteau, a benefactory local figure, founder of the hospices of the commune in 1843. The western facade, tripartite and decorated with foothills, illustrates the balance between structural robustness and sculptural elegance, with capitals and two-coloured voussures.

Beyond its architectural heritage, the church remains an active place of Catholic worship, attached to the diocese of Autun. Since 2005, it has also hosted the Festival Musique en Brionnais, where concerts are scheduled in summer, mixing historical heritage and contemporary cultural life. Its wandering, its geometrically modulated cornice and its curved bays make it a remarkable example of Burgundy Romanesque art, still anchored in local life.

The protected elements include the entire building, communal property. Its bell tower, with its triple bays separated by double columns, and its red and white harpsichord portal, highlight the richness of its decor. The church thus embodies a millennium of religious and architectural history, while remaining a living space of celebrations and cultural events.

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