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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Lazarus of Avallon, originally dedicated to Notre Dame, finds its origins in the fifth century under the impulse of Count Gérard (or Girard), who wanted to make it a protected place of worship within the enclosure of the castle. From this first church, there remains only a crypt discovered in 1861 under the choir. Around the year 1000, she received a relic of Saint Lazarus offered by Henry the Great, Duke of Burgundy, and became a major pilgrimage place on the road to Santiago de Compostela. In 1146, she definitively adopted the term Saint-Lazare, attracting gifts and prebends from the Dukes of Burgundy and local lords.

The reconstruction of the building in 1080 follows a basilical plan, with a vaulted choir in quarter of a sphere and semicircular chapels. Pope Pascal II consecrated the new church in 1106. In the 12th century, the Abbey of Cluny, on which Avallon depended, erected a facade adorned with two gates, whose torso columns and vegetable sculptures illustrate the Burgundy school. These portals, called "masterpieces" by historian Victor Petit, combine elegance and religious symbolism.

Over the centuries, the church suffered several natural disasters: in 1589, lightning destroyed the bell tower; In 1633, a storm overturned the large tower and the first vault of the nave, resulting in partial reconstructions, such as the present tower built in 1670. The 19th century restorations (1860-1865) revealed ancient tombs and installed a carved organ buffet. Today, the church preserves 19th-century frescoes, 18th-century stalls, and a 12th-century column statue representing a prophet, witness to his rich artistic and spiritual past.

An architectural peculiarity marks Saint-Lazare: its façade is not perpendicular to the nave, and the choir, located 2.50 m below the gate, is joined by 17 steps. To the right of the choir, a chapel with trompe-l'oeil paintings houses the stalls of the canons. The south side exhibits medieval statues, such as a 14th century Saint Michael or a Virgin and Saint Anne from the late 15th century.

Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the church of Saint-Lazarus embodies the Burgundian Romanesque heritage, mixing clunisian and local influences. His portal, moulded and exhibited at the Musée des Monuments Français in Paris, remains an emblematic example of the 12th century decorative sculpture. Nearby, the remains of the ancient St Peter's Church, transformed into an exhibition hall, recall the central role of these buildings in the religious and community life of Avallon.

The college was also a place of power: the capital of an archdiaconate of the bishopric of Autun, it housed a chapter of canons, whose prebends were increased by the Dukes of Burgundy. The calamities (flesh, storms) and successive restorations have shaped its present appearance, between medieval heritage and modern adaptations. Its 19th-century organ and recent frescoes bear witness to an uninterrupted cult life for more than fifteen centuries.

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