Southern Burgundy Romanesque ChurchesOzenay Romanesque (11th century) Church

Built late in the 11th century by the Canons of Chalon-sur-Sôane the Romanesque church of Ozenay is dedicated to Saint Gervais and Saint Prothais. It was built to replace a chapel constructed in the middle of the 9th century.

Ozenay's church is unique in that its only round sections are the inside arches of the nave. These were built in the 13th century when the original arches started to collapse.

In the 18th century the round apse, the section just behind the altar, was replaced by a square chevet.

The bell tower is square and large relative to the church's size. This is typical of Romanesque architecture and can be seem in many other Romanesque churches in the region. The belfry has two openings on each side.

Saint Gervais and Saint Prothais only has one nave and a roof supported by five arches. The inside is very simple except for the arches on the ceiling and walls. The arches in the walls are somewhat rare for a village Romanesque church in Burgundy. Normally one would expect to see this kind of construction only in major centers like Tournus and Cluny.

Ozenay is located on the D14 road a few miles from Tournus and the A6 Autoroute.

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