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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Antoine de Laizé, originally dedicated to Saint-Sulpice, is a 12th century Romanesque building located in the village of Laizé, in Saône-et-Loire. It was given in the 11th century by Milon, vassal of Count Leotald de Mâcon, to the Abbey of Cluny, who made it a priory before it became parishion in the 15th century under the name of Saint Anthony. Its architecture is characterized by a unique nave, a semicircular apse and a disoriented bell tower, redesigned in the 13th-XIVth centuries with a heavy number of fortifications, a rare element in the region.

The church experienced several restoration campaigns, especially in the 19th century after a state of advanced degradation. In 1840, the architect Falconnet proposed expansion and repair work, highlighting the originality of the bell tower, before their completion in 1846. Ranked at the Historic Monuments in 1926, it was restored again after damage caused by a storm in 2012. Its interior is home to 15th-century Gothic stalls and a commemorative plaque of First World War soldiers.

Linked to Cluny's history, the church preserves traces of its monastic past, as evidenced by the consecration in 2021 of a new altar decorated with a marquetry representing the paschal angel of Cluny. This monument, owned by the municipality, is part of the circuit of the Romanesque churches of Burgundy of the South and remains a symbol of the local religious and architectural heritage.

In 1912, the Academy of Macon alerted the need to protect the building, leading to its inscription in 1926. The bell tower, with a 500 kg bell recast in 1850, and its wooden platform make it a unique example in the Mâconnais. The church, open by appointment, continues to play a central role in the community life of Laizé.

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