Tournus is a charming town with a rich medieval history.
The Eglise Sainte Madeleine is a pretty little 12th c. church — it wasn’t open but we enjoyed seeing the Romanesque exterior. The alley behind the church is Rue des Boucherie where the town’s butchers lived in medieval times.
A statue of the 18th c. artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze, who was born in Tournus, stands in front of the 17th c. Town Hall. The streets of the old town lead to a small square, Place Carnot, where we find a rare half-timbered house, the Logis de la Teste Noire, whose first floor overhangs the ground floor since taxes were based on the size of the ground floor only. The nearby Eglise Saint Valerien dates to the early 11th century.
The most impressive sight in Tournus is the Abbey of Saint Philibert, the only surviving group of 10th – 12th c. monastic buildings in France. The abbey crypt is one of the oldest parts of the church building. The adjoining cloister has a walkway on one side still lined with the original Roman-style arches and columns.
We stayed overnight in Tournus. The next morning, I enjoyed a bike ride along the river and through the town before the ship departed for out next port of call.