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Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Denis church of Saint-Maurice-de-Satonnay, located in Burgundy-Franche-Comté in the department of Saône-et-Loire, is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in this region. Although of Romanesque origin, it was largely rebuilt around 1460 by Louis de Chevrier, local lord, who was buried there in 1472. Originally linked to the nearby castle, it was profoundly modified in the 19th century, especially in 1845 by the architect Vaillant, who replaced his original bell tower with a bell tower and undertook major restoration work.

The building houses remarkable elements, such as the Gothic murals of the southern chapel, restored at the end of the twentieth century. Among them, the Annunciation, classified as Historic Monument in 1910, and a funerary liter discovered around 1921-1922. A 15th century Romanesque bentier, also classified, adorns the entrance. The choir contains a master altar of the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, topped by a baroque altar in carved and gilded wood, bearing witness to the patronage of the lords of Chevrier.

In 2020, the church integrated the network of "Chemins du roman en Mâconnais Sud Bourgogne", benefiting from a dedicated signage among 127 sites in the territory. Always devoted to the Catholic cult, it depends on the diocese of Autun and the parish of Notre-Dame-des-Coteaux in Mâconnais. Its bell tower, covered with slates in 1969, houses a bronze bell melted in 1802, recalling its historic anchoring in local life.

The building thus illustrates the architectural and cultural transformations of a rural church, between medieval heritage, modern modifications and heritage preservation. Its history also reflects the role of local lords, such as Louis de Chevrier, in the construction and beautification of places of worship at the end of the Middle Ages.

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