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Origin and history

The Church of St. Eugénie of Varzy, dedicated to St. Eugénie of Rome, was founded in the 5th century and became a renowned pilgrimage place in the High Middle Ages. In the 10th century, Bishop Gaudry d'Auxerre (918–933) rebuilt it entirely after a trip to Rome, where he obtained relics from Saint Eugénie and Saint Laurent. He added stained glass windows, altars, and episcopal housing to the future castle of Varzy. The church, enriched with gifts and relics, is then a major religious and political centre in the diocese of Auxerre.

In the 12th century Bishop Hugues de Châlon (999–1030) restored the building and founded a chapter of ten canons. The church, however, was in conflict with secular claims over its rights, notably under the episcopate of Alain de Larritour (1152–1167), marked by local wars and spoliations. Pope Alexander III intervened in 1157 to restore episcopal authority. In the 13th century, the bishops Hugues de Noyers and Guillaume de Grez confirmed the gifts and rights of the chapter, while the church of Saint Peter de Varzy was attached to Saint Eugene.

The building was rebuilt in the 4th quarter of the 12th century (period attested by the sources) and underwent restorations in the 15th and 16th centuries, notably under the bishops Laurent Pinon and François II of Dinteville. The latter installs organs and a altarpiece illustrating the legend of Saint Eugénie. At the Revolution, the church was destroyed, its relics transferred to Saint Peter of Varzy. Stolen in 2002, they are now secure. The remains, including facade arches, are classified as Historic Monuments in 1930 and 2018.

The site also includes the Saint Eugénie Fountain, fed since the 10th century by two sources, and linked to pilgrimages. Close to Varzy Castle (80 m south), the church dominated an urban space structured around the pond at the washhouses and the Place de la Fontaine. Its history reflects the tensions between episcopal power, secular nobility and religious community, typical of the Burgundian Middle Ages.

Among the notable burials, Pierre de Longuil (died 1474), buried in the church before the transfer of his tomb to Auxerre. The relics, like those of Saint Renobert (from 1642), underline his role as spiritual conservator. Today, the remains, partially integrated with modern buildings, testify to its past importance.

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