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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Martin de Salles-Arbuissonnas-en-Beaujolais church, listed as a historic monument in 1862, was founded in the 10th century. In 960, the seigneur of Beaujeu gave up land allowing the installation of a Benedictine priory under the authority of Cluny. In the 12th century, the monks erected a Romanesque church with a Latin cross, typical of Clunisian architecture, as well as a cloister and convent buildings (capitular room, dormitory, pantry). The building, redesigned over the centuries, preserves medieval elements such as its three-level bell tower and its portal adorned with leafy capitals.

The church, used by the canonesses of the Halls chapter, houses liturgical furniture classified since 1983, including 18th century stalls, a wrought iron beam of glory, and 19th and 20th century statues. The stained glass of the choir, made by Bégule in 1893, illustrates religious scenes such as Saint Martin and Saint Anne teaching the Virgin. The movable heritage also reflects the presence of the canonesses, with a clock in the transept and a stained glass window representing their stylized cross (1843).

The bell tower, dating from the first half of the 12th century, overcomes the cross of the transept and is distinguished by its three quadrangular levels: a blind base, a floor pierced with bays in the middle of the hangar, and a skeleton arch. Its flat four-sided roof is characteristic of the Beaujolais churches of the time. In the 19th century, L-abside retained a console cornice and cut stone gables, replacing old Lombard arches. The sloped floor and the stairway of the entrance add to its originality.

The priory, founded under Cluny's leadership, illustrates the influence of Benedictines in the region. Conventual buildings, partially preserved (capitular room, parlor), were classified in 2019 with the cloister and its enclosure walls. The church, a communal and private property, remains a major testimony of Romanesque art in Beaujolais, mixing medieval heritage and later additions such as Bouguereau's painting (copy of La Virgo consolatrice, 1825) or the 19th century chandeliers.

The canonesses, a female religious community, marked the history of the place. Their presence is attested by carved oak stalls (XXIII copies, eighteenth century), each adorned with mercy, and by symbolic elements such as their motto engraved on a stained glass window. The clock of the cross of the transept, probably linked to their offices, recalls their role in the liturgical and social life of the priory until its disappearance.

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