Perched on the side of a hill of the Haut-Mâconnais, the Saint-Martin church of Grevilly is a precious witness of Romanesque art of the first quarter of the 12th century. Built around 1125, it depended on a priory founded by the Abbey of Tournus, with a parish and monastic vocation. Excavations revealed a Merovingian occupation as early as the 5th–8th century. Classified as a historical monument in 1941, it is part of a wine landscape, influenced by Cluny and Tournus. She is one of the « Paths of the novel in Mâconnais South Burgundy ».
Its architecture illustrates the sobriety and strength of the regional novel: a unique rectangular nave, a span under a bell tower, an apse choir vaulted in cul-de-four and a square bell tower with south sacristy. Built in local gold stone and covered with lavas on the bedside, it preserves many original elements: broken cradle vault, curved openings and walls left visible.
Restored internally and externally, and recently consolidated (clocher, roof, walls), the church offers panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and Brancion. The surrounding classified cemetery, surrounded by a dry stone wall, adds to the beauty and serenity of the place.
Located in the parish of Notre-Dame des Coteaux (diocese of Autun, Chalon, Mâcon), the church remains a place of worship with special celebrations, including the feast of the Holy Cross on September 14 (procession and solemn Mass) and the feast of Saint Martin on November 11 (mess and friendly meal). Modest but rich in history, it embodies the identity of Upper Macon, transmitted and maintained by the inhabitants.
