Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Bissy-la-Mâconnaise, located in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a Romanesque building built in the 12th century by the monks of Cluny Abbey. It is distinguished by its barlong bell tower evoking a strong castle tower, and its sober architecture: unique nave extended by a semicircular apse adorned with Romanesque arches. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1961, it houses remarkable furniture, including polychrome statuettes from the 15th to the 16th centuries (Saint Anthony, Saint Fiacre) and a 17th century Cordoba leather antependium.

The church went through periods of disrepair, especially after the collapse of its roof in 1965, resulting in its closure to worship. Major restoration campaigns were carried out: repair of the apse and the bell tower in 1972, replacement of the nave frame in 1979 (with oak slats and Charcuble pink lavas), and discovery in 1984 of medieval murals, including a Christ in Majesty in the apse. A seigneurial liter and a Romanesque window with painted mosaics were also revealed.

The furniture, classified in 1966, includes works of popular art such as a Virgin of Pain (15th century) or a holy bishop with a man's face, long preserved at the Ochier Museum in Cluny before their return. The building owes its preservation to local figures, such as the parish priest Louis François Dubost, who in 1789 avoided its destruction during the Revolution by welcoming revolted peasants to his presbytery.

The church, owned by the commune, is now owned by the parish of Notre-Dame-des-Coteaux-en-Mâconnais (seat in Lugny). In 2020, it integrated the "Chemins du roman" in Mâconnais Sud Bourgogne, a tourist trail that highlights the region's Romanesque heritage. Its 610 kg bell, melted in 1845 by the Mâconese founder J.-A. Baudouin, bears witness to its anchoring in local life.

Recent restorations (drainage, renovation of the ceiling in 2004) were carried out by local associations, such as Bissy d'hier et d'hui, founded in 1997. These initiatives have restored the building's cultural and heritage function, while revealing unknown architectural elements, such as the Romanesque window or liter fragments.

The church is part of the religious landscape of Upper Macon, alongside three other buildings dedicated to Saint Cyr and Saint Julitte in the diocese of Autun. Its history reflects the challenges of preserving the rural heritage, between historical dilapidations (repairs in 1767), community commitments and interventions of the Historical Monuments.

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