Thematic routes

Romanesque art on the farmland side...
This tour begins and ends in Tournus.
The landscapes of the villages you go through are typical of the farmland, criss-crossed with hedges and tress, to be found in southern Burgundy.

Tournus
The abbey-church of St Philibert remains the undisputed epitome of "early Romanesque art" and the development of this style. The church has an austere façade, with two elegant 12 th century towers. The oldest parts are the narthex, surmounted by a chapel, and the crypt. Thanks to the openings in the transverse barrel vaults and the pink stone, the nave is exceptionally light for a Romanesque building. Worth noting is the recent discovery of Roman mosaics portraying part of the zodiac. Contemporary liturgical furniture by the master goldsmith Goudji. The cloisters, the chapter house, the refectory and the storeroom complete the monastery buildings.

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A 13 km : Brancion
Masterpiece of late Romanesque architecture with its almost Cistercian austerity. The church has a square tower without any decoration. Blind central nave with pointed barrel vault. Worth noting: 14 th century mural paintings and recumbent effigy of Josserand, the last lord of Brancion.

A 9 km : Lancharre
Convent. All that is left of the abbey-church is the chevet, which is actually made of two Romanesque churches. Fine engraved tombstones.

A 2 km : Chapaize
Remarkable 11 th and 12 th century church. Magnificent and imposing rectangular and pyramidal tower, 35 metres high, decorated with Lombard arcades and pilaster strips. Except for the chevet, the church belongs entirely to the "early Romanesque" period.

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A 10 km : Ougy
Small 12 th century church with a square bell tower topped with a pyramid of stone and very wide single nave.

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A 4 km : Saint-Hippolyte
This building is unusual since all that remains of the church built in c. 1100 is the chevet and transept that were converted into an imposing fortified tower.

A 3 km : Besanceuil
Extremely rustic church with the interior of the apse as well as the exterior decorated with Lombard arcades, which is exceptional in the Mâconnais area.

A 9 km : Saint-Vincent-des-Prés
Dating back to the early 11 th century, this is one of the oldest churches in Burgundy. Four enormous round piers and two monolithic columns, surmounted with capitals, support the nave, roofed with a narrow barrow vault.

A 5 km : Massy
Church typical of “early Romanesque art” (early 11 th century). Beautiful tower, similar to that of Chapaize. Single nave with roof timbers and an unusual feature: the span under the tower is roofed with semi-circular vaulting.

A 2 km : La Vineuse
Square 12 th century bell tower, with 3-tier pyramidal stone spire decorated with blind arcades or round arched tracery.

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A 18 km : Ameugny
The chevet dates back to the second half of the 11 th century and the nave to the 12 th century. Massive square tower with Lombard arcades. Single nave with pointed barrel vault.

A 6 km : Lys
Rustic church dating back to the early 12 th century. Square tower and single nave under apparent roof timbers.

A 2 km : Chissey-lès-Mâcon
12 th C church. The ancient chevet was taken down and rebuilt to the west. Square bell tower and single nave with pointed barrel vault on transverse ribs. Fine historiated capitals opposite the entrance.

A 7 km : Blanot
Village built over a Merovingian necropolis. 11 th C monastery church with a square bell tower decorated with Lombard arcades.

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A 9 km : Bissy-la-Mâconnaise
Surrounded by typical Mâconnais houses, this late Romanesque church is preceded by a rustic porch. Massive tower and nave with beautiful apparent roof timbers.

A 12 km : Uchizy
11 th century church. The nave has four bays and is separated from the transept by a "real wall". Powerful 5-tiered tower.

A 2 km : Farges
Small church built in the early 11 th century in the early Mediterranean Romanesque art style. The blind central nave with its two side aisles rests on imposing round piers.

A 5 km: Tournus