Often overshadowed by the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, this church is actually much older. Fourvière was completed in 1896—“barely” 130 years ago—while this one can boast of being 10 times older. It has stood the test of time, and its stones stand as one of the city’s oldest architectural landmarks. For while we may be quick to resent the idea that time erases everything so quickly, the Basilica of Saint-Martin d’Ainay is there to remind us of the opposite.
The Basilica of Saint-Martin-d’Ainay, the “big sister” of the people of Lyon
The basilica’s origins are so ancient that historians have a hard time agreeing on a date that everyone can accept. For a long time, its foundation was thought to date back to the 5th century ( the time of Clovis!), but recent research suggests that a church was built in the 9th century, with the current structure dating back to the 11th century.
In any case, its history is linked to the Benedictine abbey of which it was the church, which was consecrated by Pope Paschal II in 1107. For a long time thereafter, much like Cluny, it was one of the most powerful abbeys in France. The Wars of Religion and then the French Revolution of 1789 relegated the site to the status of a second-rate church. In the 18th century, it became nothing more than a granary—transitioning from a place of worship to a place for storing grain! It was renovated in the 19th century while retaining its original Romanesque style, and was elevated to the rank of basilica in 1905.
Saint-Martin-d’Ainay certainly doesn’t have the scale of Fourvière or the prestige of Saint-Jean, but it remains nonetheless one of the most beautiful churches in the capital of Gaul. From its mosaics to its Roman columns, not to mention the fresco in the apse and its chapels, you have to step inside to fully appreciate the symbolism of the place.
Among France’s earliest historic monuments
The Basilica of Saint-Martin-d’Ainay is the only building in Lyon, along withthe Church of Saint-Nizier, to have been included in the first list of historic monuments in 1840—186 years ago. This distinction further underscores the exceptional nature of this building, which has watched over Lyon for more than 1,000 years now.
It’s worth noting that a historic monument is a property with a special legal status, intended to protect it for its public interest. There are two levels of designation: listings and classifications. Classifications represent the highest level of protection for monuments of national interest (listings are reserved for monuments at the regional level). The Basilica of Saint-Martin-d’Ainay is, of course, listed…
