Basilique de Saint-Martin d'Ainay

Basilique de Saint-Martin d'Ainay Review

The abbey church of one of Lyon's most ancient monasteries, this fortified church dates to a 10th-century Benedictine abbey and a 9th-century sanctuary before that. The millenary, circa-1,000-year energy field is palpable around this hulking structure, especially near the rear of the apse where the stained-glass windows glow richly in the twilight. It was one of the earliest buildings in France to be classified a national monument, in 1844; its interior murals and frescoes are disappointingly plain and austere compared to the quirky, rough exterior.