Priory of Anzy-le-Duc

In 949, the priory is mentioned as a cell in a charter of Louis IV of France, known as Louis d’Outremer (c. 920–954), in favour of Saint-Martin d’Autun. Its prosperity and the influx of devotees led to the construction, at the end of the 11th century, of a new church over the burial place of Hugh of Anzy, a building that still survives. The priory was not spared the conflicts that later affected the region and, in 1368, it suffered damage during the passage of English troops.

In 1818 the church resumed worship, now as a parish church, and in 1852 it was designated a Monument Historique and restored. It is a three-aisled building, with a transept and an eastern end with five apses, and also has a crypt where the remains of Saint Hugh were venerated. The bell tower, octagonal in plan, has three storeys with openings. Most of the building dates from the 11th century, with elements from the 12th, and it preserves extensive and notable sculptural decoration, particularly on the portals and the capitals. Remains of the Romanesque mural decoration also survive and have undergone several restorations.