Church façade
The site of Tournus already existed in Roman times and developed thanks to its privileged location on the banks of the Saône, between Mâcon and Chalon. According to tradition, it had been evangelized by Valerian († c. 179), who was martyred and buried there, becoming an object of devotion. In the 6th century there is evidence of an oratory, considered to have been a small monastery dedicated to Saint Valerian which may have been destroyed by a Saracen raid in 731.
The church from the cloister
Moreover, in 677, Saint Philibert († 685) had founded the monastery of Herio on Noirmoutier (Vendée). In 836, because of the Norman raids, the monastic community was forced to abandon it, taking the founder’s relics with them. The monks moved to Déas, a place that had already served as a temporary refuge and where they had a church; there they founded the new monastery of Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu (Loire-Atlantique). The site was not safe either and, in 858, they moved again, seeking refuge at Cunault (Maine-et-Loire) and subsequently at Saint-Pourçain (Allier).
In 875, Charles the Bald (823–877) offered Tournus to the refugee monks, including the Abbey of Saint-Valérien, which is thought to have been restored, together with many other properties. The monks retained the body of their founder, Saint Philibert, which they brought to Tournus. Their arrival would have resulted in the coexistence and subsequent merger of two communities at the same site. With the relocation of the Noirmoutier community, the monastery of Saint-Pourçain became affiliated with it as a priory, the most important dependency of Tournus Abbey. Between 945 and 949, Saint-Pourçain once again served as a refuge for the monks because of the interference of Count Gilbert of Autun.
Galilee
At the beginning of the 11th century, the abbey was badly damaged by a fire, which led to major reconstruction works carried out in several campaigns until the end of the following century. Another fire affected the monastery in 1245, following which the chapter house was rebuilt. In the 15th century it was in decline and, from 1498, it had commendatory abbots, appointed by royal nomination and with no connection to the monastery. In 1562, the site was plundered during the Wars of Religion. The abbey was suppressed in 1621 and became a secular collegiate church. The building underwent some modifications and, during the Revolution, the chapter of canons was suppressed.
The church resumed worship in 1802 as a parish church. In 1841 it was listed as a historic monument and restoration work was undertaken in several stages. It is a notable Romanesque building with three aisles divided into five bays, and a transept with apsidioles in its arms. The chancel is surrounded by an ambulatory with radiating chapels; this arrangement is repeated below, where there is a crypt supported by columns that divide it into three aisles, also surrounded by an ambulatory. At the west end of the church stands a large galilee, with an upper floor containing the Chapel of Saint Michael. Part of the cloister survives on the south side.
Galilee mural decoration
Galilee mural decoration
Saint Michael chapel over the galilee
Saint Michael chapel over the galilee
Saint Michael chapel over the galilee
Saint Philibert
Ambulatory mosaic. Gemini
Ambulatory mosaic. Cancer
Ambulatory mosaic. Month of May
Ambulatory mosaic. Month of June
Mural painting featuring a saintly bishop
Notre-Dame la Brune
Crypt
Crypt
Crypt
Crypt
Saints Philibert and Valerian
Jacques Callot (1636)
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Cloister portal
Cloister gallery
Chapter house
Capital from the old cloister
Apse
Schematic plan of the church
Veüe de l'Abaye de Tournus sur la Saonne
Étienne Martellange (1610-18)
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Illustration from Cours de la Saone en vingt-six vues (1835)
Illustration from Voyages pittoresques et romantiques
dans l'ancienne France (1825)
Illustration from Voyages pittoresques et romantiques
dans l'ancienne France (1863)
Old postcard, private collection
Coat of arms of the Abbey of Tournus
According to Armorial général de France (18th century)
Bibliothèque nationale de France
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The monastery of Saint-Philibert is located in the centre of the town of Tournus