Monuments to visit Bourgogne

Not a postcard from here without seeing it enthroned, imperial and majestic, over the city. And for good reason... The emblematic monument of Auxerre, the Clock Tower has dominated the historic center for more than 500 years. It is impossible to pass by without admiring this superb monument decorated with its astronomical clock whose two hands indicate the solar and lunar movements. Built on the foundations of the Gallo-Roman city walls in the 12th century, it was used as a prison in the 14th century while continuing to serve as the city's clock. In 1825, a fire broke out during repair work on the spire and it collapsed. The tower was then partially rebuilt, at a lower cost. Its destruction was even considered. Fortunately, protected by its registration as a historical monument, it was finally rebuilt identically in 1890. Since then, in the heart of the pedestrian district, it marks with its superb architecture an admirably preserved city center. All the more so since its long and magnificent renovation completed in the summer of 2022. No doubt, the Clock Tower has never been so beautiful!

Note that you can still admire the bases of the ancient Gallo-Roman castrum in the tea room of the chocolate maker Gregory Ferret just next door. Finally, next to the tower, the covered passage used to be the house of the famous revolutionary bailiff Cadet Roussel, a great local figure of the 18th century. A commemorative plaque reminds us of this fact.

The Halles de Beaune are ideally located in the city. They are located opposite the Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune, in the heart of the city. Throughout the year, every Wednesday and Friday from 7am to 1pm, the people of Beaunne meet there to do their shopping. Wednesday is more specifically dedicated to food products. Here you can find everything: fruit, vegetables, meat, delicatessen, rotisserie, cheese, spices, etc. The organic sector and local producers are also well represented. Up to 180 merchants can take place! Ideal for finding local products. Surrounded by cafés and restaurants, nothing prevents you from taking a short break in the morning to have a coffee or finish your market with a lunch. From April to November on Saturdays, you can also visit the flea market on Place Carnot. Good times ahead!

You can admire a magnificent collection of sculptures and paintings of art in the lounge and rooms. In this large building located along the highway, you can enjoy real history lessons, especially if you have the opportunity to walk around with its owner. You will know almost everything about the great and small history of this 12th century castle with a tumultuous past and whose style continuously varied until the 17th and 18th centuries. You will notice both its magnificence and its decadence when visiting. The walls are still standing and impressive, but the interiors could not stand the attacks of time and still less, the covetousness of men. Only two andirons remained when the former owner, M. Aubry, bought the castle - thus saving some ruins - in 1983. Since then, research and restoration have made it part of its glorious past.

Longvic continues to stand out in the Dijon agglomeration landscape. Last January, José Almeida handed over to the new mayor, Céline Tonot, who is continuing the town's commitment to the environment: the town, which has been awarded the "ville-nature" label by the French government, has joined the club of "solarized towns", with the installation of solar panels on municipal buildings; and to culture, with a new edition of Festi'Longvic and the setting up of artists' residencies. The town continues to metamorphose under its projects: tree planting on the Étang Royal side, creation of a cycle path towards Dijon, street renovation, 100% LED street lighting..

If you see Porte Guillaume in a distant horizon, know that you are at the entrance to Vieux Dijon, in the heart of the historic centre. Indeed, this triumphal arch is set on the large place Darcy, completely pedestrian, and at the entrance to the long rue de la Liberté which is also pedestrian. Dated from the 18th century, it was built in the exact location of a pre-existing medieval gate. Built by the architect Jean-Philippe Maret, this monument was erected as a tribute to the governor of Burgundy at the time, namely Louis Bourbon-Condé more commonly known as Prince de Condé. For this reason, it was first called Porte de Condé, then Porte de la Liberté at the Revolution and finally Porte Guillaume in tribute to Guillaume de Volpiano, former priest and Italian abbot of Saint-Bénigne. On the door, registered as Historical monument in 1938, you can admire four bas-reliefs.

The Macon City Hall is found in the former Montrevel hotel, built between 1746 and 1751 by Abel-Michel Chesnard de Layé who passed it on to his son in 1753, who himself defeated it in 1767 in favour of Comte Melchior de Labaume de Montrevel. Rich owner in Bresse and in Macon, he then undertook major expansion. He built the great Comedie hall (now the Council Chambers), hosting a stall, an orchestra and a stage surrounded by two sets of boxes. There he played many parts that please the nobles and bourgeois of Macon. Comedie was destroyed by fire on the night of 8 to 9 February 1907. Before being guillotined during the French Revolution, the count of Montrevel sold his hotel to the city of Macon on March 8, 1793. You can admire the lavish woodwork in the marriage hall, a library housing the medallion portraits of ancient philosophers. In the entrance hall, you will find the stairs with its wrought iron railing as well as the large living room for weddings and the boardroom that are worth seeing.

The current castle dates back to about 1560, and on one side, a three-storey façade overlooking the Armançon River retains its defensive appearance. On the other hand, a lawn and a porch on the first floor were added in the following centuries. Inside, the decor is contemporary with the great-great-grandparents of the current owner. To see: the chimneys in the lower rooms and on the main floor are impressive for their large coats. The wide flights of stairs, whose ramp comes from the Buffon forges, replaced a narrow central staircase at the end of the 17th century. The panelling added in the 18th century in the dining room, the octagonal room fitted out to receive Marshal Davout with dignity, or the billiard room (with its magnificent lion-headed pool table) are just a few examples of the many interior installations that have transformed, over the centuries, this bastion of religious wars into a pleasure residence. The objects date from the 16th century to 1910 and all come from the castle. Also interesting is the venerable room (with old crew clothing), an inner well, a bread oven and a room dedicated to Buffon, who stayed here several times.

This door to the east of the city was, from the first century, the eastern outlet of the largest west-east route of the city  : The. Maximus. Like the other three main doors, it was once surrounded by two semicircular towers, one of which is still conserved and houses the Protestant temple Saint-André. It presents two large arcades (the passage of vehicles is now prohibited) and two small ones for pedestrians. It is topped by a gallery of ten stoneware arcades dating from late antiquity, whose vaults were restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the th century. It is near this door that tradition situates the martyrdom of Saint-Symphorien.

In the north of the city, this door Senonica (Porte de Sens) gave access to Cardo Maximus. Entirely built in the sandstone of Mont Saint-Jean, in the th century it is almost complete campaign side, while the city side only remains the two central bays and a lateral bay. Decorated with pilasters cannelés with corinthians capitals, the upper gallery date of the era augustéenne (th century). The doors of Autun must not be confused with arches of triumph, since they are never included in the ramparts.