Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Vorles, located in Châtillon-sur-Seine, in the Gold Coast, is a Romanesque building whose construction began in the 10th century, under the impulse of Brun de Roucy, bishop of Langres (980–1016). It was erected in the enclosure of a castrum and replaced a primitive church that had been home to the relics of Saint Vorles since 868 – originally preserved in Marcenay. Its exterior façade, decorated with Lombard strips, illustrates the pure Romanesque style. In 1023 the relics were exposed to the council of Hery to solemnize the assembly.

The church, originally collegiate under the patronage of Saint Martin and Notre Dame, became parish until 1807. In the 17th century, important works added the chapel of the Rosary and enlarged the crypt in Saint Bernard chapel, linked to Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, who prayed to the Virgin. The Romanesque nave, high and flanked by low side, leads to a double transept and a deep choir surrounded by 14th and 15th century chapels (Saint Theresa, Carmel). The bell tower, rebuilt in the 12th century, also served as a watchtower.

The crypt houses a fourth century oratory and a statue of the Virgin, venerated as Our Lady of All Graces after a miracle attributed to Saint Bernard. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1909, the church was renovated several times (1927–34, 1959–74, 1990–2000). Today, disused for regular worship, it hosts special ceremonies (baptisms, marriages) and medieval events, such as those celebrating the millennium of St.

The furniture, partially classified, includes a remarkable burial. Nearby, the ruins of the Dukes of Burgundy castle and a 19th century cemetery testify to local history. The task marks, visible on the walls, remind the artisans who worked on its construction and successive transformations.

External links