The Wall Paintings at Suin

During the restoration projects carried out between 1999 and 2004, fragments of the ancient paintings in the church were uncovered, hidden under a coat of plaster since the 19th century. 

As in many other relatively small parish churches, the church in Suin has decorations painted during the medieval period. 

The underside of the triumphal arch is decorated with a series of circles, each having at its centre a repeated motif, alternately a lion and an eagle in heraldic style. Below, the north pillar (on the left looking towards the choir) is decorated with a painted funeral band and with a coat of arms "vert a saltire gold" (De sinople au sautoir d'or). This coat of arms belonging to the de Guiche family, was added in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Eagle in heraldic style

On the eastern side of the triumphal arch (visible from the apse) there survive the remains of a rinceau (a band of leafy scrolls) of large, red 5-lobed (cinquefoil) flowers together with leaves, grapevines and buds. This is stencilled decoration, a method very common in 13th and 14th century Burgundy. 

Funeral band with arms belonging to the Guiche family

The apse was probably painted throughout. In the vault there are the vestiges of a Christ in Majesty. At mid-height the fragments of a band, which ran round the whole of the apse, have a decoration of half-leaves with three lobes (trefoil). To the right of the left-hand window, elements of a face - eyes, mouth and base of the nose - have been preserved. They are part of a figure on the same level, belonging to an apostolic procession which no longer exists today.

To carry on with the tour

• No more site site in the locality

• Less than 10 km

• — Lime-Kiln of Vendenesse-les-Charolles
  Open may to october 
  Collanges
  71120 Vendenesse-les-Charolles
  Tél: 03 85 24 00 56
  Go West, in Charolles' direction
   
• — Romanesque church of Chiddes
  Go North, in Chiddes' direction
  
  
• — Romanesque church of Mornay
  Go West, in Saint Bonnet-de-Joux's direction

• Tourist office

• Charolles, 24 rue Baudinot
  Tél : 03 85 24 05 95

More info to carry on the tour on the Bourgogne du Sud's website

Map

Restaurants & Hotels

• Where to eat?

• — Auberge La Marmusette
  Le bourg
  71220 Suin
  Tél: 03 85 24 88 75
• More info on restaurants on the Bourgogne du Sud's website

• Where to sleep?

• — Hôtel Le Téméraire
  3, avenue Joanny Furtin
  71120 Charolles
  Tél: 03 85 24 15 92
• — Hôtel Restaurant de la Poste
  2, avenue de la Liberation
  71120 Charolles
  Tél: 03 85 24 11 32
• More info on hotels on the Bourgogne du Sud's website