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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Laurent de Béard, located in the Nièvre on a promontory overlooking the Loire, is a typical example of Burgundy Romanesque art. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, it presents a basilical plan with a single nave and a salient transept, topped by a dome on tubes. Its proportions, based on the number of gold, and its fine grained Montenoison stones testify to a technical know-how of the years 1190-1210. The building, initially larger, was rebuilt after a fire in 1359, with a reconstruction organizing the space in equal squares: three for the nave and three for the transept, each measuring 30 meters.

The church was first mentioned in 1287 in the accounts of the bishopric of Nevers as a cure, then in 1478 as the curatus of Béard, his parish priest being appointed by the prior of Lurcy-le-Bourg. She played a role for the pilgrims of Vézelay going to Santiago de Compostela, thanks to her visible position. During the Revolution, it was looted, its bells and liturgical objects disappeared, and it was sold as a national good before being turned into a barn, thus escaping destruction. Traces of medieval paintings remain at the cross of the transept.

The square bell tower, on two floors with geminied bays, bears the stigmata of the fire of 1359 linked to the Hundred Years War. The apsidioles, one of which was completely destroyed, were rebuilt. Ranked a historic monument in 1972, the church preserves exterior carved decorations (bandels, modillons) and a staggered orientation of 18°, corresponding to the feast of Saint Laurent on August 10. Today open to the public all year round, it is illuminated in summer and during religious holidays.

The larger primitive building had a nave separated from the transept by a diaphragm arch and narrow passages, with a bedside possibly preceded by a straight span and absidioles. Successive restorations have preserved its structure, despite the degradation of time and revolutionary vandalism. Its architecture, marked by sparsely thick foothills and regular harpsichords, reflects Burgundian Romanesque techniques.

The St. Lawrence church also illustrates local religious history: in 1478, the parish of Beardum owed 10 ecclesiastical tax floors. Its role in the pilgrimage networks and its resistance to historical hazards (wars, revolution) make it a major witness to the medieval heritage of Nièvre.

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