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Origin and history

The church Notre-Dame-du-Pré de Donzy, located in the Nièvre department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a 12th century Romanesque building. It depended on the order of Cluny and was part of the Diocese of Auxerre. It was classified as one of the first French historical monuments in 1840 and was badly damaged during the Wars of Religion and then sold as a national property during the Revolution. Today, only the remains of the first two spans of the nave, the bell tower, and part of the main wall with its arcades remain.

The Romanesque tympanum of the western portal, a major architectural element, represents the Virgin with the Child under a Byzantine dais, framed by an angel and the prophet Isaiah. This sculpted decoration, typical of Romanesque art, also includes a symbolic celestial Hand. Corinthian capitals with vegetal motifs and nave ridge vaults bear witness to clunisian influence. In 2023, a grant of €155,000 from the Heritage Lotto was allocated to restore this eardrum, as part of a project estimated at €500,000.

Originally, the church was part of a priory whose present cemetery occupies the location of the transept, choir and crypt. A tomb on the back of a donkey is visible, dedicated to Charles Roussel, canon died in 1599. The building, owned by the commune, illustrates both the medieval religious heritage and the historical vicissitudes (conflicts, revolution) that marked its decline.

Architecturally, Notre-Dame-du-Pré was distinguished by its narthex and its three naves with low sides, vaulted ridges. The committed columns and decorated windows of the portal reflect sophisticated Romanesque know-how. Despite its state of ruin, the site remains a key testimony of Burgundy sacred art and the Clunisian heritage in Nivernais.

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