Charles the Bald  (840-877)

(The coin is from Chalon sur Saone. Details on the Carolingian page
For a larger version of this coin, click here)

A Visitor's Guide to Carolingian France
II: Burgundy

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Alise-Ste-Reine is a small community best known as the site where Vercingetorix made a stand against the Romans. His army was defeated and the plateau he defended became a Roman community. It also has a small 7th – 10th century church that has been fully restored. One of the walls is Merovingian in origin. We were there to visit the Roman ruins and didn't realize there was also a restored Carolingian church until we had left the region. Oh well, a good reason to return to an attractive and less visited part of Burgundy.

Alise-Ste-Reine is about 260 km SE of Paris. It is pretty much on a straight line between Auxerre and Dijon. Semur en Auxois is nearby and is a good base of operations to visit the area.

*** Auxerre: The Abbey of St. Germain.
Auxerre is delightfully situated on the banks of the Yonne. The cathedral of St. Etienne dominates the skyline and is worth a visit. It dates from the 13th - 16th centuries. For Carolingian fans, you want to head for the nearby Benedictine abbey of St. Germain. The abbey dates from the 6th century and naturally has been extensively rebuilt over the centuries. The visible church is generally 13th – 15th centuries, but the crypt goes back to Carolingian times. The crypt, actually a half buried church – you can see out the crypt windows – has got a central nave and two side isles. The barrel vaulting is Carolingian, as are the frescoes in the ambulatory, which date to 850. The oldest part of this crypt is actually a series of four Gallo-Roman pillars. Given its age, there is, not surprisingly, a variety of styles here, including Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic. This is a site well worth the visit if you are in the area.
 
 
 
 

The sketch shows the layout of the crypt. The oldest part is in the lower center, marked '1'. The pillars are Gallo-Roman and the four capitals are Carolingian. It has the distinctive barrel vaulting of the era. We were alone in the crypt and sang Gregorian chants. The acoustics are wonderful and the feeling very evocative of the age.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

These are other sections of the crypt. If my notes are correct, the chapel at the far left (marked '2' on the map above), has frescoes dating from the middle of the 9th C. The closer picture is a newer part of the crypt. There are Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic elements in the crypt and it is definitely worth a visit.

Auxerre is 166 Km SE of Paris, just off the A6.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Charlieu: Benedictine Abbey

The abbey dates from about 872, just at the end of Charles the Bald’s reign. It became a Cluniac center and the abbey was rebuilt in the 10th and 11th century. That would have been ok, but the newer construction did not survive the Revolution (1789) and it was secularized and destroyed. What is left is the imprint of the church in the ruins, with the footings for a 9th century wall and several 10th century pillar bases. It takes an active imagination to see what this once was. Yet Conant (97) notes an ambulatory with an upper gallery with windows to light the aspe at Charlieu (c 950) and pictures (216) the outer portal of a 12th C. narthex. I'm unclear if there is anything Carolingian here other than foundation stones. This site schematic is from Michelin Burgundy/Jura 146.

Charlieu is 400 km from Paris. It is in a triangle bounded by Macon, Roanne and Paray-le-Monial.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

*** Flavigny-sur-Ozerain: crypt of Ste-Reine

Flavigny is an attractive walled Burgundian town that today is known for its aniseed factory, whose bouquet permeates the air. The town was the site of a Benedictine abbey. Some of its buildings, rebuilt in the 18th century, today house the factory. The factory is also the entrance to the crypt of Ste-Reine. This is a two level crypt, with the lower level built in the mid 8th century. The ruined walls of the abbey church tower over the crypt, giving it a different feel from many other crypts, which are either stand alone or under a decently maintained church. We went to the candy factory and asked someone if they'd let us in – they control the access since they own the entire site. It appears that in tourist season there is a staffed entryway. This is an interesting visit, as is a walk through the largely pedestrian only town. Michelin notes the population is only 411, so it is really a village rather than town. The furthest left image is facade of the basilica of St. Pierre, the Benedictine abbey. The picture next to it is the mountain top town of Flavigny. Below are two pictures of the Carolingian crypt, whose oldest parts go back to the 8th century. Notice the stonework and vaulting.
 
 

Flavigny is also in the vicinity of Semur-en- Auxois. It is about 14 km E of Semur and just south of Alise Ste Reine.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

* Fontenoy (Battle of): Please visit the separate Battle of Fontenoy page for a description of the events leading up to the battle, coins of the participants and pictures of the battlefield today. The battle field is about 35 km SW of Auxerre. It is due south of Touche (which is on the D965). There are lots of small roads in the area, marked so-so.

* Nevers: Cathedral of St-Cyr-et-Ste-Julitte

Charles the Bald (875-77) or Charles the Fat (884-87) AR denier, 20mm, 1.63gr. Obv: +CARLVS IMP AVG, central cross. Rev: +NEVERNIS CIVIT, central KRLS monogram. Nevers mint (875-7 or 884-7). R1572 (image, not text); MG 1464 (late 9th C of an emperor Charles); Dep 12 D1, 701 (84 examples); MEC 919; Bel 179-80 as Charles le Gros; Nouchy CB245, seller (Vinchon) id as CB.

Nevers is an attractive larger town on the Loire at the extreme eastern edge of the Burgundian reach. The view above shows the cathedral dominating the city skyline. The cathedral has a mix of architectural styles, with some 10th century elements incorporated into the newer Gothic church (up to 16th C.). The experience does not have a Carolingian feel at all, since the scale is so much larger than their churches, but for these few structural elements it deserves a mention. The most unusual feature of the church is an aspe at either end, a not uncommon Carolingian arrangement, particularly in Germany. Nevers  is best known for its ducal palace, built in the 15th century. I should say best known by people looking for signs of the counts of Nevers. Today the palace is the municipal center and a combination of offices and galleries. People we spoke to couldn't understand why anyone would want to come to see the building.  Besides, this site comes with a local Carolingian coin. In a more modern sense, the cathedral is attractive. If you are in Nevers, also visit the attractive Romanesque church of St-Etienne.

Nevers is 236 km from Paris, pretty much due S. It is right on the Loire. It is SE of Orleans and W of Dijon, just about equidistance from both.

*** Tournus: Abbey of St. Philibert

Tournus is on the Saone, south of Macon. It is a small town about 800 meters long.  The Carolingian hook is the abbey church. The abbey church of St. Philibert is worth a trip to Tournus. If you are anywhere in Burgundy, it is worth the diversion. The façade dates from the 10th and 11th century. The interior is of a rosy colored stone that is magnificent in its stark simplicity. It gets my vote as the most engaging church interior in France. The crypt, accessible from the north transept, dates from the end of the 10th C and was restored in the 19th century. The frescoes in the crypt date from 12th century. The first series of pictures are of the dramatic interior of St. Philibert. The nave dates from the 11th C. The picture to the left is of Tournus with St. Philibert as the dominant structure in town.
 
 
 
 
 

AR denier, 18mm, .919g. Obv: +SCI VALENIAN, central portrait right. Rev: +TORNVSCIO CAST, central cross. R4965, Boud 1197. The abbots of Tournus acquired minting rights and this coin, while later than Carolingian, is from the Abbey.

The pictures are of the Carolingian crypt, and show the central element. the ambulatory and a small chapel. The frescoe below date from the 12th C. Tournus is on the A31 between Dijon and Lyon. It is 360 km from Paris. It is a good central location from which to visit Cluny lots of 11th and 12th C Romanesque churches.

* Vezelay: Basilica Ste. Madeleine
Vezelay is a delightful hilltop Burgundian town. Richard the Lionhearted and Philippe-Auguste met here before their departure on the third crusade (1190). The location of the monastery church dates from the 9th century, and came under Cluniac rule in the 11th century. The church has been considerably rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries. The facade, to the left, reflects a variety of styles. The crypt was significantly altered in the 12th century, so while it is a Carolingian site, the experience you have on a visit today is of a leter time. Nonetheless, it is still one of the impressive Burgundian crypts and a charming pedestrian town worth a visit. The paintings in the crypt are new, dating from the 13th century. The pictures below show the 12th C Romanesque nave and the crypt, also dating from the 12th C. Note the difference in vaulting compared to the Carolingian crypts pictured for other cities.

Vezelay is 220 km from Paris and 52 km S of Auxerre. You can take the N6 out of Auxerre and turn on the D951 to Vezelay. The Post et Lion d'Or is a good place to stay. If you're on the third floor (no lift) you can get a great view of the countryside.