Attractions and Places To See around Saint-Bris-Le-Vineux - Top 20

The extremely impressive church in Cravant was dedicated to the two SAINTS "PIERRE et PAUL". They are also known as the "Princes of the Apostles" and their common feast day in the calendar of saints is June 29th. * Simon, nicknamed Peter (Rock), was a fisherman on Lake Genesareth when he - together with his brother Andrew - was called by Jesus Christ to be a "fisher of men". According to Catholic understanding, he is the highest apostle and the two thousand year long line of popes - currently Francis - are his successors. In statues and paintings, Peter is almost always depicted with two keys in his hand; this attribute refers to the Bible verse in Matthew: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Chapter 16, Verse 19). * Paul was initially an opponent of the Christian movement and was not called to the apostleship of Jesus Christ during his lifetime like the other apostles, but was only converted later with the famous "Damascus experience". His attribute is the sword with which he was executed. According to the Roman law of the time, such a sentence was a "privilege" (quick death and not, like other types of execution, associated with a long, painful death struggle) that was available to the citizens of Rome.

The site is open from 10 a.m. and can be visited free of charge. There are deckchairs in the cloister for a shady and quiet break. The museums are worth a visit. You learn a lot about the history of the city, which dates back to at least the 5th century. You can see from the church that it has been rebuilt several times. The archaeological crypt, which is located under the forecourt of today's church, is very impressive. You should plan enough time for a visit. It took me almost two hours to get an initial overview. "The former abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is located north of the city center of Auxerre. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre founded it and provided his family's land outside the former city walls as well as land to ensure its existence. The first building of the monastery was a simple chapel. At the beginning of the 6th century, the Merovingian Queen Chrodechild, the wife of King Clovis I, had the chapel expanded into a basilica. Fires in the 11th and 12th centuries required extensive renovation work on the nave in the second half of the 12th century; Of the Romanesque double tower facade that was built, only the southern tower has been preserved. The monastery was partially destroyed by Huguenots in 1567, secularized in 1810 and partially demolished the following year. The nave was reduced to its Gothic parts, which were given a neo-Gothic façade in 1817: As a result of this measure, the remaining south tower now has no connection to the basilica. Today the Musée-Abbaye Saint-Germain is located on the site of the abbey. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire d'Auxerre." More about the history here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain_d%E2%80%99Auxerre

The site is open from 10 a.m. and can be visited free of charge. Deckchairs are available in the cloister for a shady and quiet break. The museums are worth a visit. You learn a lot about the history of the city, which dates back to at least the 5th century. The church shows that it has been rebuilt several times. The archaeological crypt located under the forecourt of today's church is very impressive. You should plan enough time for a visit. It took me almost two hours to get a first overview. "The former Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is located north of the city center of Auxerre. Bishop Germanus of Auxerre founded it and provided his family with land outside the then city walls and lands to ensure its existence. The first building of the monastery was a simple chapel. At the beginning of the 6th century, the Merovingian Queen Chrodechild, the wife of King Clovis I, had the chapel converted into a basilica. Fires in the 11th and 12th centuries necessitated extensive renovations to the nave in the second half of the 12th century; Only the southern tower of the Romanesque double-tower facade that was erected at the time has survived. The monastery was partially destroyed by Huguenots in 1567, secularized in 1810 and partially demolished the following year. The nave was reduced to its Gothic parts, which were given a neo-Gothic facade in 1817: the preserved south tower is now not connected to the basilica as a result of this measure. The Musée-Abbaye Saint-Germain is now on the site of the abbey. Musée d'Art et d'Histoire d'Auxerre." More about the story here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain_d%E2%80%99Auxerre

The cathedral is open for tours during the day and this is not to be missed! It is a major work of French Gothic architecture and impresses with its high, light-flooded vaults and colorful windows. "The cathedral is located in the center of the old town on a hill above the Yonne. Saint-Étienne was begun in 1215. Today's Gothic cathedral is the fifth building on this site. In 1567 the Huguenots sacked the city and the cathedral, which necessitated repairs, particularly to the choir glazing. The French Revolution caused countless damage to the building and its furnishings. The goldsmith's work was melted down, the church was transformed into a temple of reason, and the important statue of the suffering Stephen on the high altar only escaped destruction because it was turned into a suffering Marat in the bath. In 1840 Prosper Mérimée placed the cathedral under monument protection. Extensive restoration work took place throughout the 19th century." Much more about the history here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathedrale_von_Auxerre

The Saint Pierre Saint Paul church is a remarkable building. It has a unique architecture in Burgundy. Its impressive dimensions remind us that Cravant was a city of more than 3000 inhabitants. The church then belonged to the bishops of Auxerre who came there regularly and did everything to make it beautiful and imposing. The interior of the church, with its nave, its Renaissance choir, its chapels, its keystones and its vaulted ceilings, bears witness to its prestigious past. It was built in the 9th century, enlarged in the 12th century then rebuilt at the end of the 16th century. https://www.bourgogne-tourisme.com/abbayes-et-autre-edifices-religieux/eglise-de-saint-pierre-et-saint-paul-de-cravant-3

Rue du Temple also begins here heading south. The Templars had a headquarters on this street. There are a lot of small shops there and of course many beautiful houses. What you can't see at first glance is the entrance to a relatively large supermarket. The Monoprix food department is hidden behind the clothing department, which can be seen from the square.

The skipper's patron had his natural place on the banks of the Yonne river, on the very spot where the port has existed since time immemorial. The oldest charters mention the Port Saint-Nicolas. The fountain of the same name, formerly the Saint-Germain fountain, sprang up in the middle of the square, at the time when the enclosure of the city walls existed, and in the middle of this same square stood a stone cross. We can still see, at the corner of the old house n° 2, the statue of the great bishop of Myre, raised by the brotherhood of Saint-Nicolas and having at his feet a tank filled with small children who serve as his attributes. In 1339, the Book of the Hôtel-Dieu tells us that there was a Maison des Estuves or public baths in front of the Saint-Germain fountain. In 1626, the port of Saint-Nicolas was the scene of a violent tumult caused by the high cost of grain. A lady Noubert, from Dijon, who was driving two boats laden with wheat to Paris, was arrested at Auxerre on July 26 by the populace, who loudly demanded the sale of wheat at the market price. The provost, not knowing how to stop the riot, sanctioned the demands of the inhabitants and had the wheat sold. But Dame Noubert assigned the aldermen of Auxerre to the Parliament of Paris. We do not know the outcome of this case. The fountain supplied the district with drinking water until 1783. In 1909, the stone basin which adorned the square of the large fountains (Charles Surugue square) was installed in this square where it can still be seen. http://auxerre.histoire.free.fr/Ville/quartier_saint_germain/place_saint_nicolas.htm

Saint Stephen (Saint Etienne), to whom Auxerre Cathedral is dedicated, is one of the seven first deacons of the early Jerusalem community and is also the first martyr (martyr) of early Christianity. The church remembers him on Boxing Day, December 26th. When Stephen uttered his vision of the open heaven, "And being filled with the Holy Spirit, he looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts chapter 7 verse 55), the people were so indignant that that they drove him out of the city and stoned him.