Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Notre-Dame-du-Son de Saint-Paul, located in the eponymous hamlet of the municipality of Lacenas (Rhône), dates from the second half of the 12th century, with major renovations in the 16th century. Its Romanesque architecture is distinguished by a facade decorated with blind arches, a bell tower rebuilt in the 14th century, and murderers suggesting a defensive function. The portal and consoles of the choir, of flamboyant style (15th century), contrast with the cul-de-four abside, illuminated by windows, including a blind man to protect himself from the cold. The building was also home to 12th-century baptismal fonts sculpted with naive masks, classified as historical monuments as early as 1942.

The murals, rediscovered in 1979 and restored between 1980 and 1982, date from the late 13th or early 14th century. They illustrate biblical scenes such as the childhood of Christ (Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi), the Last Judgment (with trumpet angels and resurrectional dead), and medallions of apostles (Saint Luke, Saint Paul, Saint John). In the past, it represented Christ surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists (taker, lion, man, eagle), partially erased. A liter of funeral honours the Gaspard family, a benefactor buried in the church, whose coat of arms remains.

The church was a place of pilgrimage linked to Saint Blaise (3 February, protector of cattle) and to the conversion of Saint Paul (25 January). A striated stone, scratched by the faithful, provided a powder that was considered miraculous: mixed with water or plants, it healed the sick or protected the cattle. These practices reflect medieval popular beliefs around the sacred transferable. The ensemble (church and paintings) was listed as historical monuments on 6 February 1981.

Archaeological and historical sources underline its role in the religious and social life of Beaujolais, between worship, protection of herds, and late Romanesque art. The successive modifications (clocher, flamboyant portal) testify to its evolution over four centuries, while the paintings offer a rare example of medieval iconography preserved in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

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