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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martin de Dezize-lès-Maranges, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a religious building whose origins date back to the 11th century for its choir in cul-de-four, although the most visible parts date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The church underwent several changes, including the addition of three chapels (one dedicated to Notre-Dame de Lourdes) and the modification of the choir in the 18th century. Its architecture blends Romanesque elements, such as the half-pieces of the lower sides and the soberly carved capitals of the pillars of the forearm, with subsequent additions, such as the 16th century bell tower surmounted by an octagonal arrow in slate.

Ranked as a Historical Monument by decree of 9 November 1926, the church has defensive features, such as a murderer and a spade behind the front door, testifying to its role as a refuge against looters. The nave, of clunisian style with its fluted pilasters and its broken cradle, contrasts with the lateral chapels pierced with bays in the middle of the skin or rectangular. A tower of stairs, covered with a roof with a round rump, leads to a bell dated 1578 (or 1618 according to the sources), itself classified as historical monuments. The building, owned by the commune, remains an active Catholic place of worship, attached to the diocese of Autun and to the parish of Saint-Martin-des-Trois-Croix.

Several restoration campaigns marked its history, notably in the nineteenth century: repair of slate and lava covers (1831), repair of the arrow (1885), and work on roofs and walls (1893-1895). These interventions helped to preserve remarkable elements, such as gargoyles at the base of the bell tower or stones scratched on the facades. The private chapel of the lords of Dezize, accessible by a specific door with a benigner, also recalls the close link between the building and local history, in an area marked by viticulture and medieval conflicts.

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