Tournus is a common French, located in the department of Saône-et-Loire and the area Burgundy.

Geographical location

This city of the edge of the Saone is located in Burgundy, at equal distance from Dijon and Lyon. It is served by a6 highway and the regional train, and is crossed by the trunk road 6. At the departmental level it is the contact point between the Mâconnais and Chalonnais.

History

Old Roman garrison built at the edge of the the Saone, Tournus became an important religious center thanks to the influence of the abbey Saint-Philibert, chief of work of the Romanesque art.

Administration

Demography

Since the census of 1999, the commune of Plottes, associated with Tournus since 1972, is become again an independent commune. The population of Tournus is from now on of 5.629 inhabitants whereas that of this new commune is of 602 inhabitants.

Economy

• Office of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Saône-et-Loire.

Places and monuments

• Saint-Philibert Abbey of Tournus

Dated from the end 10th century, abbey Saint-Philibert, with very high Nave for its surface, is one of the largest Romance monuments of France. Its frontage is impressed Romance inspirations known as - wrongly - “lombardes”. Mosaic in the chorus are 12th century.

In 858, the Norman ones returned to attack Déas (from now on Saint-Philbert-of-Large-Place in Loire-Atlantique), but the monks fled, taking along with them the invaluable relics of Philibert saint until Tournus. Some returned to settle in Déas in XIe century and awaited the return of the relics, remained then in Burgundy, until 1937.

The abbey one of Tournus is probably the largest Burgundian Romance building dating from second half of Xe century still upright and in good state. Two other important and close buildings built at the same time (the cathedral of Mâcon and abbey of the Cluny known as one “Cluny II”) disappeared entirely (Cluny II destroyed by the monks of Cluny in the middle of the XVIIIe century) or mainly (the cathedral Saint-Vincent de Mâcon, rebuilt in XIIIe century, but whose the base of the Western solid mass remains however, also of second half of Xe, and completely comparable invoice).

Before on arrival of monks of Grandlieu existed an important community made up around the relics of Valérien saint. Very few things of it are known. It however appears that the large almost white hardcores that one observes in the walls and the large arcs of Xe century are almost surely re-employments of the principal building of this abbey, undoubtedly mérovingienne (Life or VIIe centuries).

As of the years 1930, Jean Virey had perfectly established the principal elements of the chronology of construction. The before-nave (often called here Narthex) as well as the essence of the nave were built at the time of the Etienne abbot, known as large builder, and encloses it work was solemnized by a great transfer of relics into 979. It appears almost certain that the crypt was built at the same time: the analysis of Alain Guerreau indeed showed that the overall plan, of the frontage at the end of the déambulatoire, presents a perfect coherence, and measurements employed (pole of eight Roman feet) are an important index of seniority.

The analysis of the inscription known as of Gerlannus shows the contribution of a monetarist of the abbey: the abbey, which raised a toll on the Saone, benefitted very early from the consecutive resumption of the traffic at the end of the Norman disorders and thus had considerable means - for the time - before even as strongly appears the agrarian great strides which made the area with Xe and XIe centuries. Moreover, the structure even implemented shows a clear relationship with the buildings of the imperial surface at this same period, said “ottoniens” (cathedral of Minden, Saint-Cyriaque of Gernrode, Saint-Pantaléon of Cologne for example). After disorders (badly known) at the beginning of XIe, it was undoubtedly the Ardain abbot who gave of the order and gave his final figure to the cloister which bears its name.

The chronology of transept crossing and high parts of the chorus is more difficult to determine. It appears however more than plausible that this part dates from the beginning of XIIe (more or less in answer to the conquering heats of the clunisiens), which would explain the new dedication in 1120 by the pope Calixte II (a family member comtale mâconnaise).

The two bell-towers are undoubtedly posterior. Interesting Gothic vaults were built with the northern side of the nave in XIVe and XVe centuries.

The abbey one of Tournus preserves important remainders of illustrated decoration. At various places, not always quite visible, large fragments of murals and, recently discovered in the déambulatoire, a mosaic with decoration zodiacal of very first importance. A Romance virgin (known as “Black Virgin”) is also visible. The dating of these various elements is malcommode, the comparisons are dubious and are pressed besides on elements them also very badly dated.

The wars of religion caused damage but not significant destruction. At the XVIIIe century, the monks transformed themselves into secular canons and the abbey one became parish church de facto, which enabled him to cross the French revolution without particular difficulty. Classified Historic building since 1844, the building knew from ceaseless restoration campaigns: Questel (1845-1850), Ventre (1908-1915) had the idea absurdity to make disappear the coatings which protected totality from surfaces and to also remove the ties (beams) of wood which ensured the balance of the nave since its construction. Very recently, Frederic Didier undertook a general repairing of the coatings which, though very incomplete and insufficient - it will be necessary well, early or late, to cover all these stones which are not made to be seen -, gives a much better aspect inside; it is within the framework of this countryside that the mosaics of the déambulatoire were found.

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