Église Saint-Pierre d’Auxerre

What you will see

Enter from rue Joubert through the abbey gateway, probably built around 1530 to 1540 and inspired by the triumphal gate of the Castel Nuovo in Naples. Its two figures are Ceres and Noah, a pairing of myth and Bible typical of the Renaissance, and apt for a winegrowers' quarter. Inside the church, look for the statues of Saint Vincent and Saint Cartaud, patron saints of the quarter's two main trades, the winegrowers and the butchers. The vessel is almost 59 metres long, with vaults more than 20 metres high.

History

A church dedicated to Saint Peter has stood on this spot since at least the 6th century, outside the Roman walls of the town. It was later served by canons, and around 1170 the bishop turned the community into an abbey, Saint-Pierre-en-Vallée, to distinguish it from another Saint-Pierre inside the walls. One building of the abbey survives, with its chapter house, and is now used by a community arts centre.

The present church dates mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries. The square tower, in flamboyant Gothic style, was begun in 1530 or soon after, and in the 17th century the parishioners took charge of rebuilding the church. Its façade, with three classical orders set one above the other, still shows the influence of the Renaissance. The church and the abbey gateway were on the 1862 list of historic monuments.