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Centuries are looking at you!

The Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic eras have left sumptuous traces in the Côte-d'Or, some of them unique in the world. Just like the Cistercian art created by the monks. In addition to their splendid abbeys of Cîteaux and Fontenay, we should note for example the abbey of Sainte-Bénigne in Dijon, which today houses the museum of archaeology. Restored in 989 thanks to Guillaume de Volpiano (an Italian who came from Cluny, both an architect and a man of faith), it was transformed into a gigantic church extended by a 3-storey rotunda with more than 100 columns. Let us also mention the Sainte-Reine abbey in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and the Sainte-Vorles church in Châtillon-sur-Seine. On the Gothic side, the cathedral of Sainte-Bénigne, the Chartreuse de Champmol and the church of Notre-Dame are all in Dijon. Further afield are Saint-Nicolas de Châtillon-sur-Seine, Saint-Genest de Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, the abbey of Sainte-Seine and Auxonne. Apart from this first-rate religious architecture, the Middle Ages also saw the flourishing of superb buildings. Those of Châteauneuf, La Rochepot, Mont-Saint-Jean, Thoizy-La-Berchère, Antigny-la-Ville, Montbard. And of course the fortifications of Semur-en-Auxois. Then, under the Renaissance, wooden houses appear, as well as stone hotels and some castles. Let's mention the church of Saint-Michel and the courthouse in Dijon, the Philandrier house in Châtillon-sur-Seine, the Hôtel de la Mare in Beaune, the old houses of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and Seurre, or the châteaux of Bussy-le-Grand and Epoisses.

Glazed tiles, a gift from the Dukes to Burgundy

Then came the classical art, coming from Versailles, which was expressed in Dijon in the development of the Place Royale (the current Place de la Libération), but also in the construction of the Palais des États de Bourgogne. It was during this period, governed by the Dukes, that a good number of private mansions appeared, still visible in Beaune and Dijon. Above all, it was also during this era that the famous roofs decorated with coloured geometric patterns appeared, which still characterise Burgundian architecture in the minds of those who discover it. Yellow, green, red, black, brown and gold, these glazed terracotta tiles adorn the roofs of many buildings along the route des grands crus. Among them, it is impossible to ignore the Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune. It is known throughout the world! But let's also mention the Hôtel de Vogüé and the Sainte-Bénigne cathedral in Dijon, the Château de la Rochepot or the Hôtel de ville in Meursault.

A rich world heritage

Burgundy-Franche-Comté is the French region with the most UNESCO World Heritage sites. Two of them are located in the Côte d'Or. Firstly, Fontenay Abbey, which is none other than the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world. Founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the building was classified as a historic monument as soon as this classification was established, in 1862. Further south, the second listed Côte d'Or site enjoys a reputation and prestige that extends throughout the world: the climats of the Burgundy vineyard. Nothing to do here with the weather: the climats of Burgundy are parcels of vines precisely delimited and so named for centuries. Each of the 1,247 climats, though located next to each other, produces a wine with a unique taste, and this astonishing mosaic has given rise to a rich heritage that can be discovered in the Côtes de Beaune and Nuits-Saint-Georges regions as well as in the wine-producing villages of the Dijon area to the south of Beaune.

Burgundy stones and lava mark the region

Burgundy is France's leading quarry for natural limestone, and has long been home to all the expertise in the stone and ornamental rock trades. Whether they come from the quarries of Ampilly-le-Sec, Coulmier-le-Sec or Magny-lès-Villers (among others), there are a total of 83 varieties of Burgundy stone to be found throughout the region, spread over 5 main basins, including those of the Châtillonnais and the Côte (between Beaune and Dijon). These basins have provided the materials that today allow the department to have a particularly rich heritage. In particular the abbey of Fontenay, the castle of Clos de Vougeot and its old village. The old town of Beaune also, and the historic centres of Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin. Not forgetting Pommard, Meursault, Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, Châtillon-sur-Seine and its museum or the gateway to the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois. Finally, don't miss the many vaulted cellars that can be visited in the wine villages. Most of them are magnificent examples of these old-fashioned buildings made of Burgundy stone.

Some (very) surprising sites

Created in 1982, the Maison de l'Architecture de Bourgogne (MAB) is an association under the law of 1901 which brings together the actors of architecture and construction. Its objective is to promote contemporary architectural culture through visits, conferences, exhibitions, publications and meetings directly on the sites concerned. For example, the "Fantastic Picnic" organized in 2020. Or when MAB offered the public to visit the amazing Domaine de la Pierre Ronde, on the shores of Lake Chamboux in Saint-Martin-de-Mer, in the Morvan côte-d'orien. In 2016, Yannick Boisfard and Gaëlle Lajugée launched a participative financing on the internet to create a village around the universe of Tolkien. With success, since, on 25 ha, this absolutely incredible village now offers accommodation in houses of hobbits, elves and wizards. The men and women who built it came on this day to share the secrets of their crazy adventure with the curious. Nearby, in Saulieu, André Wogenscky's Maison Bandelier honours the first work of the architect who was Le Corbusier's first collaborator. Or when, charged with a beautiful and rich history, the Côte-d'Or also knows how to be a land of the avant-garde!