Visit Dijon city…

an architectural and greedy heritage

Palate of the Dukes and the States of Bourgogne,
the Markets

information about the city of Dijon

The town of Dijon was established, in IIIe century, not far from Via Agrippa, along the Road of Amber and Tin. However the medieval city, which will develop around the castrum of IIIe century, practically will disappear in the fire from 1137. But these years which saw the development of the Christianity, will be born from many and large abbeys like the creation of Saint-Etienne, of the cordeliers, but especially of imposing together Saint-Benigne, whose church with rotunda of the surroundings of the year 1000 is a chief of work of the Lombard architecture the, due one to the Piedmontese Master Guillaume de Volpiano. The parishes will be they also very many with Saint-Philibert, Saint-Jean, Saint-Médard, Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vincent, Saint-Michel, the Sainte-Chapelle and Notre-Dame, which constitute the religious heritage of the city, of which arrows, the turns and the pinnacles will give him the name of “City to the hundred bell-towers”.

Moreover, between the medium of XIIe century and the end of XVeme century, diverting it diversity of the houses will develop with wood sides like the House with the Trois Pignons, built about 1440 and located in the old district of the markets, it would have belonged to a clothier. Interesting frontage by its geometry and its architecture with sides of wood treated in large crosses of St Andre. The House of the Caryatids, built for Pouffier, rich merchants ironmongers, at the beginning of XVIIe century. The decoration of the telamones and caryatids is in the tradition of Hugues Sambin. The Maillard House, built in 1483 for the merchant Guillaume Millière, it was restored at the beginning of the XXe century, and was used as framework with the turning of the film “Cyrano de Bergerac”. As for the whole of the street Verrerie, it is made mainly of houses of XVe century to wood sides on corbelling whose restoration and development have been carried out systematically for several years. Its picturesque frontages give the idea of what was medieval Dijon with the narrow streets bordered of gravers of craftsmen.   top page

But it's with the Dukes of Bourgogne, that Dijon will know one of its more beautiful periods. Because with the dukes Valois (between 1364 and 1477) Dijon will become a hearth of international art whose European radiation is currently still perceptible. Sit about the Golden Fleece, the ducal residence, for the impressive kitchens, reserves the pleasant discovered ones by the richness of its museums and the diversity of its civil architecture. Without forgetting the Chartreuse de Champmol.

The current Palate of the Dukes and the States of Bourgogne was born from almost nothing : simple fortress leant with the "Castrum", rampart raised in IIIe century against the cruel invasions, it is rebuilt as from 1366 by the first of the Dukes of Valois, Philippe le Hardi . The Tower of Bar is the oldest building. The principal main building was built by the Lyons architect Jean Poncelet of 1450 to 1455. The Tower of the Terrace (today Philippe le Bon tower, high 52 meters was at the same time high as the main building. It comprised rooms. Undertaken in 1681, the construction of the Palate of the States was going to last more than one century, under the direction of architects of reputation. After Daniel Gittard and Martin de Noinville, it's Jules Hardouin-Mansart, first architect of the king, who intervenes in Dijon since 1685 and imagines the installation of the palate from that of the Royal Place. The unit was completed only in 1786.   top page

The Markets of Dijon as for them, were undertaken in 1868. With a total height of 13 meters, the building covers 4400m ² with 4 houses articulated around two “streets” in cross. It shelters 246 shops, 14 appendices and 728 benches, what to envisage a few days for shopping…

And then Dijon they is also museums. Such a rich history obviously left many testimonys and only the museums can tell you the past of a city. Treating art, sciences, folklore, literature, history and of good of other things still, they offer a whole a face different of Dijon.

But Dijon it's also a “green city”, which counts 700 hectares of parks and public gardens. If the first gardens known in Dijon are those of the medieval monasteries, the pleasure gardens develop with the construction of the private mansions. In same time, the town of Dijon creates public walks apart from the walls of the city. Besides Dijon sticks to maintain and restore its historical parks and gardens, while developing new spaces.   top page

Side gastronomy, it will be possible for you to visit a cheese dairy and can be to know the secrecy (so it's not sure… they are in general jealously kept) of cheeses such as Epoisses, the Roche-Fountaine, the Cheese of Cîteaux, l'Ami de Chambertin, Langres, of goat's milk cheeses (Mâconnais, Charolais, Vézelay), Chaource… and what could be better than an excellent wine to accompany by so delicious cheeses… because the wine trail is not far. Let us say “the roads”, because there is not less than 5 circuits to make you discover: the Great wines (Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), the High-class wines (Côte chalonnaise), the Wines Mâconnais-Beaujolais wine (Saône-et-Loire), or the tourist road of the Vineyards of Yonne and the Road of the Côteaux Pouilly-Sancerre (Nievre).

There isn't this is what to make? Between historical discovery, shopping and gastronomy, Dijon will allure you so much, that you will be obliged to return there…   top page

Our thanks to the tourist office of Dijon for its information and the photographs which decorate this text.

TO KNOW

You need more information about the city of Dijon, contact: info@itinerairesbis.com  top page

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