A train trip from Lyon to Dijon The eastern part of France has two interesting towns, Lyon and Dijon, and analyzed in this blog. The train journey between Lyon and Dijon, lasting two hours in B and passes through Sud-Est line, is a fantastic route to see beautiful scenery and cross the Rhone Valley and Burgundy a wide area, with large wine regions such as Beaujolais or Côte d'Or. It passes through interesting sites like Mâcon, Tournus and Beaune.
This blog entry focuses on those regions and localities intermediate between Lyon and Dijon and deserve a leisurely visit.
" " The region of Beaujolais: lying south of Burgundy and north of Lyon. Covers part of northern French department of the Rhone (Rhone-Alpes) and parts of the southern department of Saone et Loire (Burgundy). Beaujolais (Biôjolês in Arpitan) was the name of one of the historical provinces of France and is named after Castle Beaujeu.La Beaujolais was first cultivated by the Romans who planted vines along areas of the trade route up the Saône valley. The most prominent was Brulliacus Roman vineyard on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. The Romans also planted vineyards in the area of \u200b\u200bMorgon. From the seventh century and throughout the Middle Ages, most of viticulture and winemaking was done by the Benedictine monks. In the tenth century, the region got its name from the town of Beaujeu and was ruled by the Lords of Beaujeu. Beaujolais wines from the grapes 'Gamay', which first appeared in the village of Gamay, south of Beaune, circa 1360.
The region is known internationally for its long tradition of wine, and more recently by the popular Beaujolais Nouveau, a young wine whose famous festival takes place the third Thursday of November.
»Links: Beaujolais (Wikipedia)
" »Villefranche-sur-Saône: is the capital of Beaujolais. The Department is located in the Rhône and the Rhône-Alpes region. It was founded in 1212 by Guichard IV, Count of Beaujeu (Bôjor / Biojó) and became the fourteenth century in the capital of the province of Beaujolais (Biôjolês). The villa was surrounded by ramparts. It was the scene of three sieges in the XV and XVI. The city walls were demolished in the early nineteenth century.
»Links: Villefranche " Villefranche (Tourist Office) " " Mâcon: On the border between Burgundy and the south, Macon is an industrial city and a wine center of the Saône located in the department of Saône-et-Loire.
Matisco Mâcon is the former, which only existed in the sixth century a fortified semi demolished as a result of the invasion. Childebert, returning from an expedition to the Iberian peninsula, deposited at the site of the relics of St. Vincent, which had taken in Zaragoza, for he sent to erect a basilica that was later the first cathedral of Mâcon. In the Middle Ages was initially the domain of the local bishop and then a county center under the duchy of Burgundy. It was the southern end of the duchy, bordering the Bresse, Savoy controlled. In 1228 it was sold to the French crown and was part of the dowry of Micaela de France, daughter of Charles VII. In the sixteenth century Protestant headquarters in Burgundy, as it would bring the vengeance of William of Saint-Point. During the French Revolution there was a strong anti-clericalism, destroying 14 churches, which explains the lack of them in the locality, besides removing the diocese, which became the bishop of Autun hold. In 1789, Macon was built capital of the department. During the Second World War, Macon was the first city in unoccupied territory between Paris and Lyon.
A seventeenth-century convent has been converted into the Musée des Ursulines
(Allée de Matisco). Its collections include paintings by French and Flemish works of the sixteenth to twentieth centuries, archaeological and ethnographic collections and an exhibition on prehistoric site Solutré. In the charming Place aux Herbes, which hosts the market, is the Maison de Bois
, a wooden deck XV century relieves.En the heart of the city, Seneca
Mansion in Regency style, the museum contains Lamartine, poet and politician (1790-1869). The ancient Saint-Vincent Cathedral, built during the reign of Napoleon I, has two towers are the only remnants of the original building.
Other points of interest are the City of the eighteenth century, the church of Saint-Pierre, built in the nineteenth century, the Residence Soufflot, the Pont Saint-Laurent, built in the eleventh century and the Hôtel-Dieu with its dome.
»Links: Tourisme Mâcon" Mâcon (Wikipedia) »Tournus: Located in the southeast of Burgundy, this wonderful city on the River Saône has a lot of old buildings, narrow streets, antique shops, cafes and restaurants. Tournus is one of the oldest monastic centers of Burgundy with a magnificent abbey, St-Philibert
, ranked as one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture.
The Abbey of St-Philibert was founded by a group of monks who were expelled from Noirmoutier island by the Norman invasion in the ninth century and took the relics of its patron, Saint Philibert. After a fire, the abbot Bernier (1008-1028) was out the reconstruction of the abbey church, whose work will continue during the XI century and early twelfth century. Well fortified, is in stone pale pink, and white with a black roof, erected between 1107 and 1120. It has a magnificent crypt, while stressing the choir and nave.
The Hôtel-Dieu
seventeenth century preserves the original rooms with furniture and pharmacy shelves. Tambiénb houses the Musée Greuze
dedicated to Tournus most famous son, the painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805). In the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is a statue in his honor.
»Links: Communes of Tournugeois »Chalon-sur-Saône: Located on the river Saône, and part of Burgundy, was once a river port as the basis for the distribution of local wines by the river . Chalon
is known as the birthplace of photography. The most famous French photographer of all time, Pierre Tremaux, was born in Charrecey, a village belonging to Chalon-sur-Saône. Its most famous resident, Nicephore Niepce also has a lycée (high school) that bears his name. There is a museum containing some old photographic relics, the Quai des Messageries, and consists of more than two million photographs and many old artefacts such as cameras and other equipment for antique and modern photography. Another famous resident is Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825) who participated in the creation of the Louvre Museum, making the palace into a museum after the French Revolution.
The center of Chalon-sur-Saône allows a pleasant stroll, shop or visit the Cathedral Saint-Vincent (Place Saint-Vincent), which has some elements dating from the eighth century and nineteenth-century neoclassical facade.
»Links: Chalon-sur-Saone " Chalon-sur-Saone (Wikipedia) »Beaune: prestigious and artistic enclave and fortified wine from 1368, Beaune was the capital of Burgundy before Dijon. This time retains its walls, old houses and the famous Hospices and the Hôtel-Dieu, its undeniable treasure, with a gorgeous glazed tile roof.
The old town of Beaune is easy to navigate on foot. The Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne, built between the XIV and XVI centuries, now houses the Musée du
Vin de Bourgogne (Rue d'Enfer). The building, with its flamboyant façade, is as interesting as the traditional wine presentation tool it contains.
Further north stands the Notre-Dame Collegiate
, started at the beginning of the twelfth century. Within this predominantly Romanesque church with Gothic elements, hanging five beautiful wool and silk tapestry of sigflo XV. With some features of the early Renaissance, illustrating the life of the Virgin in 19 scenes.
After the Hundred Years War, many of the inhabitants of Beaune suffered from poverty and hunger. To alleviate this, the chancellor Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigon, founded and remained here a hospice in 1443 (the Hôtel-Dieu
) (Rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu) inspired by the architecture of the hospitals in North France. Today, hospice is considered a medieval gem, with its splendid Burgundian roof tiles with multicolored geometric designs. Contains two masterpieces of sacred art: the statue of 'Christde-Pitié', carved in wood, and polyptych the 'Last Judgement' by Rogier van der Weyden. His nude figures of the fifteenth century were covered during the nineteenth century at the same time, the altarpiece was cut in two so that internal and external panels could be seen together. Also noteworthy is the Cour d'Honneur, the magnificent central courtyard, flanked by a gallery of wood on which rise high dormer windows and topped by vanes. The well of the courtyard is a beautiful example of iron Gothic wrought. The interior is completed by the Grand Chamber of the Poor, with a carved and painted ceiling and 28 beds with four columns, often used by several patients at once Hugues Saint-room, containing a holy healing table two children and frescoes of Isaac Moillon illustrating the miracles of Christ, Saint Anne's room with a picture of nuns working in the laundry room and a colorful tapestry room Saint Louis, kitchens, with a Gothic fireplace, and pharmacy .
Each year the wine charity auction of the Hospices is quite an event as popular as wine. Held the third Sunday in November and is the center of attraction for the three days holiday known as' Les Trois Glorieuses. "
»Links: Beaune (Office de Tourisme) " Beaune (Wikipedia, English)
»Côte d'Or: In wine terms, the Côte d'Or include the Costa de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, in an unbroken succession of vineyards from Dijon to Santenay. Situated between the plain of the Saone to the southeast and a craggy mountain plateau to the northwest, this narrow escarpment is about 50 km wide. The grape of the great Burgundian vineyard grows in gold and red soil of the slope.
The classification of soil characteristics is very technical and elaborate, but a general rule may be that 95% of the best vines grow on the high side of the N74 road. The names of actual road signs populate the best brands of local wines: Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Nuits St-George, Aloxe-Corton, Meursault and Chassagne Montrachet.
"" Bibliography: »France (Visual Guides El País Aguilar)
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