Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée Saint-Nazaire was founded in 1897 by Ferdinand Sarien, senator and influential politician, in the Romanesque church of Saint-Nazaire in Bourbon-Lancy. This religious monument, built in the 11th century, is the only Catholic place of worship in the city to have survived the French Revolution, narrowly avoiding its destruction to serve as a stone quarry. Sarrian, then mayor, MP, then minister and President of the Council in 1906, played a key role in its preservation, transforming the building into a space dedicated to the conservation of local heritage.

The museum's collections come mainly from archaeological excavations carried out in the region, highlighting Gallo-Roman artifacts, including white earth figures produced locally in Bourbon. Among the remarkable pieces are a 13th century tomb, sculptures, paintings, and porcelains of Sèvres. The church itself, of Romanesque architecture, constitutes a major testimony of the religious and artistic history of Burgundy, with a construction dated from the second half of the 11th century.

The museum benefits from the label Musée de France and is located in Bourbon-Lancy, in the department of Saône-et-Loire. His interest lies as much in his historical building as in his collections, which illustrate both the Gallo-Roman heritage of the region and the heritage conservation efforts carried out at the end of the 19th century. The location of the building, although noted as fair (5/10) in the sources, remains a central point for understanding local history.

External links