Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d'Autun
Rising above the old town on a limestone bluff, Saint-Lazare is one of the finest Romanesque cathedrals in France, built in the 12th century to house the relics of Lazarus and draw pilgrims away from Vézelay. Its carved tympanum by the sculptor Gislebertus — signed boldly beneath Christ's feet — is considered a landmark of medieval art.
The Great Tympanum
The Last Judgement carved above the west portal around 1130–1145 is Gislebertus's masterwork: elongated souls, weighing scales, and a serene Christ in mandorla, all executed with an expressiveness that feels almost modern.
Look closely at the capitals inside the nave — scenes of the Flight into Egypt and the Dream of the Magi are carved with a narrative energy that stopped medieval pilgrims in their tracks.
The Musée Rolin Connection
The original carved head of Eve — removed from the cathedral's north portal in the 18th century — is now displayed in the adjacent Musée Rolin, just a five-minute walk away. Seeing both in sequence gives you the full picture of Gislebertus's genius.
The museum itself, housed in a 15th-century Burgundian mansion, holds Gallo-Roman mosaics and the haunting Nativity by the Master of Moulins, making the combined visit a half-day well spent.
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