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Origin and history

The church of St. Peter and St. Paul, located in Yonne, finds its origins in the 6th century with a first oratory dedicated to St. Peter, attested by The Gestes of the Bishops of Auxerre (IXth century). This primitive building, replaced in the 11th century by a second church under the episcopate of Robert de Nevers, took the name of Saint Peter. The ruin of this building led to the construction of the present church in the 13th century, initiated by Guillaume de Seignelay, bishop of Auxerre (1207–120), on the site of an ancient cemetery surrounding the original oratory.

The collegiate building, which replaced the earlier buildings, was classified as a historic monument in 1875. Its Gothic architecture is distinguished by a three-storey nave with triforium, a bedside and a two-storey transept, as well as vaults on dogive crosses. The 16th century square tower and the jube of 1606–10, offered by Bishop François de Donnadieu, enrich his heritage. This jube, decorated with angel figures and classified as furniture, bears witness to Renaissance additions.

The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul appellation appeared for the first time in 1868 in the Archaeological Repertory of Maximilien Quantin, without historical source. This confusion could come from the iconography of the jube (1610), representing the two apostles, and their common feast on June 29. The 19th-century administrative archives, however, used the secular term "church of Appoigny", avoiding any reference to words. Viollet-le-Duc, often mistakenly cited as a restaurant owner, only intervened to promote his classification in 1870.

Recent excavations and studies, such as those of Raymond Dhélin (2014–2015), have helped locate the locations of the last two medieval buildings. They confirm the successive transfer of the term Saint Peter: from the 6th century to the 11th century church, then to the current collegiate. Religious documents, unlike civilian sources, have always mentioned this original dedication.

Owned by the municipality of Appoigny (code INSEE 89013), the church is located 26 Rue Châtel Bourgeois. Its 1875 classification covers the entire building, while the jube enjoys special protection for furniture. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum, departmental archives) highlight its central role in the local history and architectural evolution of Burgundy.

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