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Origin and history

The church Saint-Philibert, located on Rue Michelet in Dijon, is the only Romanesque religious building still standing in the city, with the exception of its porch, its northern chapels and its Gothic bell tower (early 16th century). Its west façade has a central porch built between 1508 and 1511, flanked by two 18th century lateral spans, topped by a rose. The gate, framed by eight columns with capitals, leads to a nave with five bay vaulted spans, illuminated by high windows. The cross of the transept supports an octagonal dome on trunks, while a 16th century tower, with a stone arrow, dominates the whole. Part of the north wall, rebuilt in 1825, sealed the openings of the absidioles and the now extinct abside.

The church is located in a former cemetery located west of the Castrum of Dijon. Although the hypothesis of a Paleo-Christian basilica dedicated to St.Paschasia was abandoned, a document of 1103 already attests to a church dedicated to St. Philibert. The current Romanesque building would have been rebuilt after the 1137 fire. In the Middle Ages, he played a major civic role: the porch served as a place of inauguration for mayors and aldermen, and it was before him that the charter of commune was granted in 1187 by Duke Hugues III. The church became a symbol of urban freedoms and was the site of winemakers in the neighbourhood.

During the Revolution, Saint-Philibert was decommissioned and turned into a stable for the horses of the garrison (1795), then into a military depot. In 1818, the city recovered the nude property, but had the absidioles and the absidioles shaved in 1825 to expand the rue des Vieilles-Étuves. Ranked a historic monument in 1862 and in 1913, it served as a food depot before being restored in the 20th century. In 1974, poorly adapted works (heated concrete pad) caused degradation by saline lifts, forcing its closure in 1979. After repairs, it reopened partially in 2002 and 2011, but is now permanently closed to the public.

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