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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Martial de Seignelay, located in the department of Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a flamboyant Gothic building built in the middle of the sixteenth century in the location of a medieval church. It is located in the centre of the village, near the driveway of the castle, and depends on the Archdiocese of Sens. Ranked a historic monument in 1921, it is known for its modern organ (1987) and its 19th and 16th century stained glass windows, some of which come from the local workshop of the Vessières brothers.

The history of the church is related to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who acquired the seigneury of Seignelay in the 17th century. It develops manufactures, restores the castle and embellishes the church, integrated in an expanding village. The facade, with mutilated statues, dominates a vaulted nave of veins and a choir illuminated by ogival bays. Among the outstanding elements are a 17th-century high altar (truncated in the 1970s), a Louis XIII pulpit, and an 18th-century white marble bas-relief, attributed to Nicolas Coustou and classified in 1905.

The bell tower, 40 metres high and completed in 1560, houses four bells melted under Napoleon III by the Jaclard foundry of Metz. They bear the names Anne-Marie, Marie Conceived without sin, Michel-Joseph and Nicolas-Modeste. Renaissance stained glass remains in the tops of the choir bays, while others, such as the Tree of Jesse (1883), are the work of local glassmaker Henri Mathieu. The church, located on the way to Compostela, remains an active place of worship and a testimony of Renaissance religious architecture in Burgundy.

The building also preserves works of art such as the Adoration of Shepherds (seventh century painting) and an angel of the Resurrection, a classified bas-relief whose counterpart is located in the museum of Auxerre. His current organ, built by Giroud, replaces an earlier instrument, highlighting his historical musical role. The exact location of the church is 15 Church Street in Seignelay (code Insee 89382).

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