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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre-le-Rond church, located on Rue Émile-Peynot in Sens (Yonne), was founded in the 13th century. Its name evokes the round shape of its bell tower, added to differentiate it from the ancient church of Saint-Pierre-le-Donjon, now extinct. The Gothic nave dates from the 14th century, while the Renaissance-style north side is built at the end of the 15th century. The current bell tower was erected in 1728, replacing an older structure. During the Revolution, the church was saved in extremis by two citizens, Macé and Thomas, who bought it on the pretext of turning it into a forage attic, thus preserving its furniture. Father Rupier, pastor of the time, returned her to the cathedral factory in 1797 after fleeing persecution by disguised himself as a carter.

The architecture of Saint-Pierre-le-Rond combines medieval and Renaissance elements. The wooden vaulted nave (damaged by a tornado in 1971), woodwork, retable and 62 carved stalls date back to the 16th-17th centuries. Among his treasures are the Renaissance stained glass windows attributed in part to John Cousin the Elder, wooden statues (Saint Roman, Saint Bernard), and a bas-relief of Saint Hubert. Ranked a historic monument in 1965, the church closed to worship in 1964 due to damage and theft. Since the 2000s, its bell tower has been home to a mobile telephone antenna, while local associations, such as Save Our Heritage (2014) and Sens Patrimoine (since 2024), have warned about its critical state: infiltrations, fragile masonries, and humidity threatening interior decors. In 2025, the DRAC Bourgogne-Franche-Comté was seized to take responsibility for municipal inaction.

The classified furniture includes a Tomb Lay, wrought iron grilles marked "A M", and Renaissance windows on the lower side. The latter, considered remarkable, were copied during World War II by master glassmakers under the impulse of Paul Deschamps, then director of the Musée des Monuments Français. Despite its ranking, the church remains closed to the public, its future dependent on the joint actions of the Historic Monuments, the city of Sens, and heritage associations. Its history reflects the revolutionary upheavals, the preservation challenges of the 19th century, and the contemporary challenges of preserving religious heritage.

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