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Origin and history

The church Saint-Quentin de Bray, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a religious building of Romanesque origin initiated in the 11th century. Mentioned from the beginning of this period as ecclesia Beati Quintini, she was a former dean of Cluny. Its location on a promontory and its architectural elements, such as the monolithic columns with Carolingian capitals or the rectangular choir surmounted by a dome, make it a rare testimony of this era. The church was partially classified as a Historic Monument in 1932, especially for its columns and capitals.

Inside the church preserves traces of its medieval and modern history. The nave, initially capped, today reveals a Romanesque structure probably from the 12th century, while the furniture includes an 18th century walnut altarpiece decorated with two statues (a bishop signed Thomae Cointet in 1668 and a Virgin Mary). These works, now held in Cormatin for security reasons, underline the artistic importance of the place. Three Latin inscriptions (15th to 16th centuries) also recall the Masses dedicated to the Desbois family, the last baillis of the Mâconnais, illustrating the link between local power and religious edifice.

Outside, the church combines primitive Romanesque elements (neve walls, masonry massifs) and later additions. The oriental window, once masked by a painting by Saint Quentin (whose frame remains), and the niches in the middle of the altar reflect the liturgical and artistic evolutions of the place. Today, the church remains an active Catholic place of worship, attached to the parish of Saint Augustin-en-Nord-Clunisois (seat in Ameugny) and the diocese of Autun, thus perpetuating its spiritual vocation for more than a thousand years.

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