Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Apollinaire, located in the Dijonnaise agglomeration of Saint-Apollinaire (Côte d'Or), is a religious building dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. From a basilical plane, it ends with a semi-circular apse decorated with lumbar bands, characteristic of Burgundian Romanesque architecture. Its square bell tower, covered with slates, surmounts a sober western facade, marked by a gate in full hanger supported by two columns. The early church, linked as early as 869 to the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Bénigne of Dijon, was rebuilt at the end of the tenth century under the name of Saint-Apollinaire, then housing a sculpted well today disappeared.

In the 17th century, the monument suffered two major disasters: the collapse of the bell tower in 1645, partially destroying the nave, and then a fire in 1701 that ravaged part of the village and church. Rebuilt shortly afterwards by architect Pierre Pasquier, it was remodeled in the 19th century, while retaining its medieval apse, the only part classified as Historic Monument by decree of 27 February 1946. Excavations carried out in 1990 on the site of the former well revealed Gallo-Roman foundations, attesting to an old occupation of the site. The church, a communal property, thus blends Romanesque heritage, classical reconstructions and ancient traces.

The history of Saint-Apollinaire is closely linked to that of Dijon and his region. From the Middle Ages, the church played a central role in the spiritual and social life of the village, under the influence of Saint-Bénigne Abbey. The destructions of the 17th and 18th centuries reflect the hazards faced by rural Burgundy communities, between wars, fires and laborious reconstructions. The 19th century changes, frequent in the religious buildings of the region, often aimed at adapting the buildings to the cultural and aesthetic needs of the time, while preserving heritage elements considered emblematic, such as the apse of Saint-Apollinaire.

External links