The name of the town derives from "Sancti-Pétri Monasterium", a monastery established in 740 by the Benedictines of Saint-Martin-d'Autun. Its site, near the Roman road from Autun to Bordeaux, had been offered to them by Queen Brunehaut.

Today´s church probably replaces the old church of the priory. There were several phases of construction between the 12th and 16th century. Some parts of the building date from the 19th century. Three architectural styles are present: Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic.
The nave preserves 23 Romanesque capitals. Their design, similar to the capitals of the choir at Anzy-le-Duc, shows clear links to the first sculptural workshops of southern Burgundy.

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