The origins
Saint Christophe en Brionnais, is the only
Brionnais « street-shaped village» !
This configuration is historical, as it is linked to the fairs and markets held here since at least 1488. But the origins of St Christophe go back much further, to the beginning of our era.
The church
In 1090, local lord Jocerand-des-Certines donated the church of St Christophe to the Benedictine abbey of Marcigny.
The current church replaced the old Romanesque one in 1828. It is built in the “Greek” style that was very much in vogue in the 19th century.
The successive castles
In the 12th century, the fortified castle was built on a hill to the north of the village.
Destroyed around 1825, it was rebuilt in 1830 by the De Busseul family.
The château was destroyed again in the 1930s.
The former spa
The second half of the 19th century also saw the opening of a spa.
The Imperial Medical Academy mentions the “frankly ferruginous nature” of Christophienne water.
The benefits are numerous: eight different ailments could be treated in a variety of ways (drinks, freshwater baths, steam baths, showers, application of mineral mud, etc.).
The cattle market
The spa no longer exists, but the Saint-Christophe cattle market continues to enliven the village of 525 inhabitants (2018).
