Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais of Ozenay, built at the end of the 12th century, replaces a first place of worship attested from 950 but now disappeared. Its construction took place in two phases: first the choir, the transept and the last span of the nave towards the middle of the 12th century, then the first three spans of the nave at the end of the same century. The building thus illustrates the evolution of Burgundian Romanesque art, with elements such as the bell tower's geminated bays or the capitals adorned with hooks.

In the 13th century, the church underwent notable changes, including the addition of a vault for the nave and the construction of the bell tower belfry. The 17th century marked a new stage with a major renovation in 1751: a sacristy was joined to the bedside, the openings were enlarged, and a porch was built at the west entrance, where a key to the vault engraved 1751 testified to this work. Originally surrounded by the village cemetery (transferred in the 19th century), the church still retains tombstones and an engraved cemetery cross O Crux Ave.

Ranked a historic monument since 18 August 1931, the church is now part of the parish of Saint-Philibert-en-Tournugeois, based in Tournus. Its furniture, including an 18th-century pink marble altar, statues of the saints Gervais and Protais (patrons martyred in the third century), as well as a pulpit and side stalls, reflect its rich liturgical past. In 2020, it integrated the network Chemins du roman en Mâconnais Sud Bourgogne, valuing its architectural and spiritual heritage.

External links