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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Germain-d'Auxerre de Monthélie, located in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a Romanesque religious building built in the 12th and 14th centuries. It is located on the Grands Crus road in Côte-d'Or and is dedicated to Saint-Germain-d'Auxerre. Classified as a historic monument since 1991, it is also recognized as a Clunisian site, showing its historical connection to Cluny Abbey.

The village of Monthélie and its vineyard were outbuildings of Cluny Abbey for five centuries, from 1078 (donation of Duke Hugues I of Burgundy) until the 15th century. The church, built at the end of the 12th century, has a lava roof of Burgundy, typical of the region. Its bell tower, replaced in 1764 by an octagonal arrow covered with varnished tiles, marks a late architectural evolution.

The building consists of a four-span nave, a choir extended by a cul-de-four apse, and two side chapels forming a bottom side. Major changes include the addition of large filling bays in the 14th century, replacing small Romanesque windows. In 1764, architect Denis Quinard supervised works including the reconstruction of the façade, the addition of an oculus, and the consolidation of the bell tower.

The interior elements, such as doubles falling on pilasters or caps, and capitals, reflect the Romanesque style. The apse, illuminated by a reamped bay, preserves traces of its old windows in the middle of the corner, now walled. Outside, the foothills made of cut stone and the chaperones made of washes or varnished tiles illustrate local techniques.

The church was listed as a historic monument on October 1, 1991, recognizing its heritage value. Its history is also marked by later additions, such as the right sacristy built in the 19th century. The archives mention repairs in 1765-1766, including the extension of the walls and the creation of a vault in the chapel Saint-Jean.

Finally, its status as a clunisian site recalls its membership in the network of dependencies of the Abbey of Cluny, a major actor in medieval religious and economic life in Burgundy. Local materials, such as lavas and varnished tiles, underline its anchoring in the winery of the Côte-d'Or.

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