Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Loup de Bergesserin, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, is a Catholic building whose first records date back to the 15th century in a doll under the name ecclesia de Berga Serena. Although its Romanesque origin was attested as early as the 12th century, only the choir, the apse, the span under steeple and the bell tower remained of this period. These parts, characteristic of Romanesque art, were classified as Historic Monuments in 1945 for their exceptional heritage value.

The architecture of the church reveals a temporal duality: the Romanesque elements, like the semicircular apse vaulted in broken cul-de-four and illuminated by three brazed windows, contrast with the nave and transept rebuilt in 1890 by the architect Sire de Saint-Gengoux-le-National. These modern additions, vaulted with dogives, form a Latin cross and incorporate stained glass windows of the master glassmaker J. Besnard, dedicated to Saint Loup de Troyes, as well as a medieval altar renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bell tower also houses a bell dated 1722.

Linked to the Diocese of Autun and the parish of Cluny-Saint-Benoît, the church embodies the religious heritage of the Clunis, an area marked by the influence of Cluny Abbey. Its furniture and stained glass windows, mixing Marian symbols (like the inscription Ave Maria gratia plena) and references to the Sacred Heart, reflect a local devotion rooted in medieval and post-revolutionary history. The partial protection of the building in 1945 underlines its importance in the monumental landscape of Saône-et-Loire, where Romanesque art plays a prominent role.

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