Basilique Saint-Andoche de Saulieu

Saulieu

At the gateway to the Morvan, the basilica of Saint-Andoche preserves the memory of three martyrs of the 2nd century: Andochius, Thyrsus and Felix, killed around 177 by the Romans on the road to Saulieu. A first basilica raised in 306 is said to have been frequented by Clovis, Saint Columbanus and King Guntram, and Bishop Germanus venerated the relics there in 447. Ruined by a Saracen attack in 747, the church was rebuilt thanks to funds from Charlemagne, which earned it the title of "royal church". The present building is the work of Étienne de Baugé, Bishop of Autun, appointed abbot in 1112: the basilica was consecrated on 21 December 1119 by the Burgundian pope Callixtus II. Its glory lies in its Romanesque historiated capitals — there are about eighty of them — among which the Flight into Egypt, the Hanging of Judas and the Temptation of Christ, masterpieces akin to those of Autun. In 1359 the English set fire to the basilica: the whole eastern part disappeared, and only the three aisles survived, completed by stalls of the late 14th century, a new choir in 1704 and a tower rebuilt in 1760. The Merovingian sarcophagus of Saint Andochius rests beneath a marble altar carved in 1950 by Albert David. Listed as early as 1840 and restored in 2007, the basilica regained its great organ in 2003.

Getting there : Centre of Saulieu; open April–October Tuesday to Saturday 10am–12.30pm and 1pm–6pm (Sunday afternoons), November–March until 4pm; guided tours by appointment

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound