--- title: "Église Saint-Martin de Chapaize: Romanesque Church Visit" description: "One of Burgundy's oldest Romanesque churches: a nave of about 1030 and a 35-metre Lombard bell tower. 30 minutes. Private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-martin-chapaize lang: en updated: 2026-09-30 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/eglise-saint-martin-chapaize.png --- # Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize (Église Saint-Martin de Chapaize) > Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize: an early Romanesque priory church whose tall Lombard bell tower rises over the countryside west of Tournus. Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize is in Chapaize (Saône-et-Loire), 56 min by road (68 km) from Beaune. Allow 30 minutes · Private driver from Beaune: €195 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. In the village of Chapaize, in the countryside west of Tournus, the church of Saint-Martin is one of the oldest Romanesque churches in Burgundy. Its massive round pillars and plain stonework date from the first half of the 11th century. Its 35-metre bell tower, decorated with Lombard bands, can be seen from far around. ## Key facts - Type: Abbeys & churches - Where: Chapaize · Saône-et-Loire - Location: 55 km south of Beaune · Saône-et-Loire - Coordinates: 46.5568, 4.7372 - 56 min from Beaune - Allow 30 minutes - Chapaize - From Beaune: ≈ 56 min · 68 km - €195 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 56 min by road (68 km), €195 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The church is the only surviving part of a Benedictine priory founded in the 10th century, which depended on the abbey of Saint-Pierre in Chalon-sur-Saône. Building probably began after the visits of William of Volpiano, a monk and builder from Lombardy, in 1021 and 1023. The nave was built around 1030. The church was listed as a historic monument in 1862, and its surroundings became a protected site in 1941. In 1543 the walls of the nave were leaning dangerously. The Romanesque vault was replaced with a slightly higher pointed barrel vault, the north aisle was rebuilt and the three apses were enlarged. The work was ordered by the commendatory abbot of Saint-Pierre de Chalon, Niccolò Ridolfi, a grandson of Lorenzo de' Medici, and each intervention was recorded in dated painted friezes. ## What you will see Inside, huge cylindrical pillars built of small stones line the nave and carry the vault, a simple and powerful effect. The lean of the north wall can still be seen. Outside, walk round to admire the bell tower, with its paired openings on the two upper levels and its Lombard bands. High on its north face is a column statue, one of the oldest known in the West. ## Planning your visit The church is a place of worship, so visits pause during services. Allow 30 minutes for the church. An easy footpath loop of about 4.5 kilometres, not waymarked, leads to the hamlet of Lancharre, where the restored Romanesque church of a former priory of noble nuns stands. Chapaize combines easily with Tournus, Brancion and Cormatin. ## Did you know? The roof has no timber frame at all: its stone slabs, called laves, rest directly on the vault, which gives the whole building its solid, mineral look. ## Around Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize What to combine with Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) (14 km away): Two neighbouring villages of the Haut-Mâconnais, joined in one appellation for generous Chardonnay. - [Montagny](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/montagny) (17 km away): A white-only appellation of hillside vineyards around Buxy, with a wealth of premiers crus. - [Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/givry) (25 km away): A small wine town of 18th-century monuments, whose red wine is linked by legend to Henri IV. ### Châteaux - [Château d’Uxelles](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-uxelles) (3 km away): The cradle of the Uxelles marquisate on a spur above Chapaize, rebuilt as a country house in 1835. - [Château de Bresse-sur-Grosne](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bresse-sur-grosne) (4 km away): A castle with Cistercian wine buildings and a model farm, held by the same family since 1799. - [Château de Nobles](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-nobles) (4 km away): A manor below Brancion with round towers, cannon ports and a richly carved Renaissance doorway. ### Things to do - [Taizé Community (Communauté de Taizé)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/communaute-de-taize), 6 km away: An ecumenical community of brothers in a Burgundian village, where visitors may join the daily prayer. - [Mont Saint-Romain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-saint-romain) (7 km away): A summit of almost 580 metres in the Mâconnais hills, with a rooftop viewing table facing the Alps. - [Cave de Lugny](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cave-de-lugny) (10 km away): A 1927 cooperative, the leading producer of Mâcon-Villages, with a shop below the Charmes vineyard. ### Restaurants - [L’Écrin de Yohann Chapuis](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/l-ecrin-de-yohann-chapuis-tournus) (13 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): An intimate starred dining room in Tournus, from the chef who helped Lameloise win back its third star. - [Aux Terrasses](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/aux-terrasses-tournus) (14 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred family house in Tournus, now in its second generation. - [La Marande](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-marande-montbellet) (15 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A family-run country house in the northern Mâconnais, starred since 2014. ## Questions about Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize ### How far is Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize from Beaune? Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize is about 56 min from Beaune by road (68 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €195 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize take? For the visit, allow 30 minutes. ### Can a private driver take us to Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:chapaize): €195 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - --- Canonical page: