Initial construction 4e quart XIe siècle (≈ 1187)
Original Romanesque building and murals.
XVe siècle
Renovation of paintings
Renovation of paintings XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Stylistic modernization of the Romanesque decor.
1858
Addition of altars
Addition of altars 1858 (≈ 1858)
Construction of two side altars.
19 mai 1994
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 19 mai 1994 (≈ 1994)
Official protection of the building and paintings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Church (Box A 5): Order of 19 May 1994
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
Sources do not mention any specific historical actors.
Origin and history
The church Saint-Nizier de Burnand, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, is a religious building built at the end of the eleventh century, between 1075 and 1100. It illustrates Burgundy Romanesque architecture, with a unique nave, a built-up bell tower and a dome on trunks at the cross of the transept. Despite partial reconstructions (north and south walls of the nave) and subsequent additions like two altars in 1858, she retained her original plan, as well as a choir in the hemicycle vaulted in cul-de-four.
The church's murals are among the oldest in Saône-et-Loire. They have a rare characteristic: two superimposed sets, one novel (XI–XII centuries) and the other remodeled in the 15th century. The theme remains the same, but the style was "modernized" according to Gothic canons. These frescoes, although eroded by time, offer an exceptional testimony of artistic and liturgical evolution in Burgundy, comparable to paintings of the crypt of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre Abbey (IXth century).
Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 19 May 1994, the church is under the Diocese of Autun and the parish of Saint-Louis-entre-Grosne-et-Guye. Always dedicated to Catholic worship a millennium after its construction, it embodies the religious and heritage continuity of the region. The minor alterations of the 15th and 19th centuries (like the altars of 1858) did not alter its Romanesque character, reinforced by clunisian elements visible in the paintings.
The site is owned by Burnand, whose Insee code is 71067. Its approximate address, 4 A Rue du Château, places the building in a rural setting typical of Mâconnais. The accuracy of its location is estimated "passible" (level 5/10), perhaps reflecting its relative geographic isolation. Available sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) highlight its architectural, historical and artistic interest in the region.
