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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Barthélemy de Fleury-la-Montagne, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire, is a building whose origins probably date back to the 12th century. Built in the golden limestone of the Brionnais, it features striking novel elements: the choir, the apse, part of the bell tower and the western gate. A donation to Cluny Abbey, mentioned in 1119, suggests that its construction would have started shortly after that date. These architectural elements, typical of Burgundian Romanesque art, bear witness to its seniority and its connection to Clunisian monasticism.

The western portal, particularly remarkable, is decorated with symbolic sculptures. The lintel depicts the Adoration of the Magi, framed by two wheels at the bottom of the checker, while the tympanum shows Christ in majesty surrounded by two characters sitting, probably the Virgin Mary and Saint John. The capitals, decorated with acanthe leaves, house animal and mythological figures, such as a goat, donkey and fauna. René Duvernoy emphasizes the stylistic duality between lintel, with "Burgundy" folds, and tympanum, influenced by the drapes of Moissac and Cluny.

The interior of the church underwent major transformations from 1783, continuing in the 19th century. The nave has been rebuilt and expanded, and a new facade has been added, however integrating the original Romanesque portal. The bell tower, a square tower with three levels of bays, is a rare feature for a single-nave church. A sundial, located on the eastern wall of the choir span, adds to its exceptional character. The building, still dedicated to Catholic worship, now depends on the diocese of Autun and the parish of Saint-Hugues-en-Brionnais-Bords-de-Loire.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 29 October 1926, the church illustrates both the clunisian Romanesque heritage and the architectural adaptations of the 18th and 19th centuries. Its portal, the only element protected under the title of historical monuments, embodies the artistic and symbolic richness of Burgundian medieval art, while at the same time bearing witness to subsequent liturgical and aesthetic developments.

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