Church of Notre-Dame, Medieval Gothic church in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, France.

Notre-Dame in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne is a Gothic church built of pale stone with dark slate roofs. Its left section has a gable end with a large circular window divided into three tall sections, while a square tower rises to the right with two tiers of paired pointed-arch openings under tall gables and small pinnacles. The interior has three naves of twelve bays.

Pope Alexander III blessed the first stone in 1163, the same year he blessed that of Notre-Dame de Paris. The bell tower, begun in the 13th century, was completed in Flamboyant Gothic style after 1546 and rises 47 metres. The Renaissance portal was built in 1575 from a drawing by Jean Cherreau of Joigny, and the church was classified as a monument historique in 1862.

The stained glass windows tell stories across different centuries, with older panes showing religious scenes and later additions depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. Visitors can observe how these visual narratives served as teaching tools for people who could not read.

The church stands in the centre of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, in the Yonne department of northern Burgundy, and is open daily with free entry. The 47-metre bell tower and the 1575 Renaissance portal by Jean Chéreau are the landmarks to look for from outside. The 18th-century organ, restored in 1992, is used for concerts in summer, so check the local programme before a visit.

In one of the window scenes depicting the Last Judgment, a figure wears an early form of spectacles, one of the oldest known depictions of this object in European art. This small detail reveals how everyday objects found their way into religious artworks.