Bourgogne, le coeur de France – Documentaire Voyage en France – Horizons – AMP

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Au-delà de l’image souvent réductrice de la Bourgogne cantonnée à la route des vins, ce film nous fait découvrir une vaste campagne débordante d’Histoire, des villages médiévaux, des vignobles ducaux et de châteaux.

Au fil de l’Yonne, on admire les collines de l’Auxerrois, les premiers massifs du Morvan, les abbayes et demeures historiques et on s’assoie à de grandes tables qui se doivent d’être à la hauteur de ces grands vins classés au patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco.

Réalisé par Eric Bacos
© ANANDA – AMPERSAND

Celebrated for the diversity of its landscapes,
Burgundy is also rich in an exceptional historical heritage,
to which each village can testify. It offers us a true summary of
European civilization as it flourished in the Middle Ages.
From castles to abbeys, the vine has shaped this land over
time and wine is without any discussion the most prestigious ambassador of the region.
Between its unspoiled nature, its gastronomy and its art of living, Burgundy offers a range
of sensations that will surprise more than one. A link between the north and the south,
this large central region of France was long powerful and independent
with the rich Duchy of Burgundy, which, at its peak in the 15th century, ruled
several European regions. Burgundy is a land of wine and its great
vintages have made it famous throughout the world. However, the approximately 4,000
wine-growing estates are increasingly confronted with destructive climatic hazards, and
mutual aid societies between winegrowers have never been so in demand. At
the end of January, we celebrate the very popular Saint Vincent Tournante in
honor of the patron saint of winegrowers. This year, the name
Saint Veran was chosen to welcome representatives of
mutual aid societies to Prissé, in the south of the region. The day begins with a walk
in the vineyards at sunrise. In the procession, good bottles
circulate in good humor. Can you drink and walk at the same time?
Absolutely, but we’re getting there! When things slow down, we take advantage of it. It’s a real job!
After crossing the village, everyone stands in front of their flag.
85,000 people will have made the trip during the weekend.
“It’s the wine festival, it’s the winegrowers’ festival above all. It is a celebration that
shows that there is a real world, a heritage, a symbol around wine and that it must be defended
to the end. Wine is a common thread in our economic, social and cultural society,
so St. Vincent is a must. In the church, which is too small for the congregation, people jostle to attend
the Saint Vincent mass. The brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevin
will induct new members, whom we will meet later
in their stronghold at Clos Vougeot “the ceremony of the 74th Saint Vincent Tournante
of our brotherhood here called Chapter of the Saint Vincent Tournante of Saint Veran.
Gentlemen, please ring the bells. A few kilometers from Saint Veran, the
Roche de Solutré is a geological curiosity which dominates the village of Solutré Pouilly from a height of 493m
. 160 million years ago, a warm sea covered this territory. Over
time, limestone layers formed, before Alpine pressure caused
the emergence of the heights of the Maconnais. It is not just a
limestone escarpment: excavations have revealed a significant prehistoric settlement.
Around 30,000 years ago, nomadic hunters followed wild herds here on
their travels. There are many remains of flint tools that they shaped.
At the foot of the Roche, the village of Solutré Pouilly is the terroir of a renowned vintage: Pouilly
Fussé, made from a single grape variety, Chardonnay. On the hillsides, the vines are
supported by dry stone walls. A few dozen kilometers further
north, Cluny also promises some wonderful discoveries. Its abbey marked an important stage in
the history of Burgundy and Christianity. Founded in 910, it freed itself
throughout the Middle Ages from seigneurial power and the control of bishops to depend only
on the direct authority of the pope. Its cultural influence extends across Europe,
where it has nearly 1,400 dependencies. Its splendor was materialized by
the most Romanesque of these buildings, unfortunately destroyed during the French Revolution.
The 18th century monastery has, however, been restored, with several of its buildings
having been completely rebuilt. Fortunately, we can still see the
highest vaults in the Romanesque world… preserved remains of what was the largest church
in the world before the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome five centuries later.
The church was then composed of a large nave of 11 bays with double aisles, two
transepts crowned by 4 bell towers, and a choir with an ambulatory and radiating chapels.
A little to one side, in the garden, the flour mill arouses admiration. Its ground floor was used
to store cereals, but its most remarkable room is located upstairs: the
barrel-shaped framework dating from the 13th century houses the capitals of the abbey church choir,
masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art. Archaeological research continues
today in a 10th-century chapel that predates the abbey. They led to the
discovery of an extraordinary monetary treasure. The street leading from the Abbey is a
history book in itself. Several houses dating from the Middle Ages are still standing there, and
enthusiasts have even made them their homes. The Dragon House dates back to the 12th century.
Jean-Luc Maréchal is one of the enthusiastic volunteers who fervently preserve it.
On the ground floor, the study of the different strata of the soil allows us to trace
the foundations of the house back to the 11th century. “When the abbey was created, it needed from
the start houses which housed trades to provide everything the abbey needed
.” Here, several chimneys have been superimposed. Most of the objects discovered during the excavations
date back to the 13th century. After the French Revolution, the
house was occupied by farmers, who needed plenty of
roof space to store fodder. “We are in front of two cupboards, one of which is a
secret chest in the sense that the entrance to the chest is hidden. It is hidden by a board that
should be able to slide out, so you have to empty the cupboard first. Then we have a cap that doesn’t have
cuffs. A stone stopper so you need 2 small metal tabs to lift it.
Once you remove it you can slide your arm into a hole so there it is not bottomless,
but I don’t touch the bottom. So we don’t know of 10 secret chests in France.
That is to say that in fact we know 5 of them.” A little further up the street, Jean-Luc Maréchal
is proud to show us his home, a residence from the same period that he has restored
over time, until it is finally habitable. However, the ground floor is still under construction.
“When I bought the house, it was classified as Romanesque, now we know
that it is Gothic with Romanesque reuses and we say mid-13th century. I jokingly told
Gaz de France it was 1248. It is possible that one day I will have proof that she
is Romanesque, grew up in the Gothic period. So she will change again. It’s never definitive”
“When you own a house like this, you feel completely responsible for
this story because you know that the story of the abbey also took place in our home.”
“We also know because I kept traces that the walls were painted. ”
Revealed recently, these paintings are believed to be the work of a monk who
took refuge here at the time of the Revolution. Continuing further north towards the Côte d’Or,
we discover a landscape once again shaped by vineyards. The ground here is subject to the influence
of air masses of Mediterranean, Atlantic or continental origin. These
strong winds are sometimes sources of heat, sometimes sources of coolness, but they have
the advantage of sweeping away bad weather. At Château de Chassagne Montrachet, it’s
harvest time. One of the most famous white wines of Burgundy is produced there.
“If the monks had not chosen this land to plant wine, perhaps we would
never have had wine, so we use what the monks made, so it is a form of treasure.”
“We are in a diverse but quite exceptional terroir, which gives
characteristics to the wine, to the Pinot Noir and to the Chardonnay which are the two
quite astonishing Burgundian grape varieties which reveal them.” The winery and the Château buildings are
located within the grounds of the property, which facilitates the daily monitoring
of the vines and their exploitation. Throughout its stay in the cellar, the
wine will be constantly tasted, analyzed, monitored, and racked to obtain the best expression. It will remain in barrels for
10 to 14 months before being bottled. A few kilometers away, the village of
Meursault is also one of the great names of Burgundy. Surrounded by
renowned hillsides, its residences are almost all dedicated to the art of wine. The first castle
built in the commune dates back to 1337. The great names of the appellation are found
on the most prestigious tables. The Château de Meursault estate dates back to the 11th
century. In 1666, a manor house was built there in an enclosure with a main building, two
stables, a press, a cellar, a dovecote, an oven and a garden crossed by a stream.
“Who knew better than the monks what time was? And today
we are actually taking care of vines that were planted by our grandparents and
we are planting vines that our grandchildren will take care of. And really, when we do
n’t understand that, we don’t understand what Burgundy is, that is to say, everything revolves
around the vine and the winemaker’s profession and ensuring that each year we
obtain the best possible reasons to make the best possible wines.”
The Château owns around ten “climats”, or “wine-growing terroirs”, including
the prestigious premier crus of Les Charmes Dessus, Charmes, and Perrières. The estate
even has a monopoly: Clos des Grands Charrons. Today we have to deal with
climate change, which is not always easy. “The impact is real, it forces us
above all to be much more precise, to monitor much more closely what is
happening because we are in somewhat extreme phenomena. It’s going to be very hot
today, it’s going to be rainy tomorrow and cold. » The harvest period is
always the crucial moment, during which you have to let the grapes reach
maturity while remaining attentive to the weather. This entire phase takes place at the château,
so the winegrowers’ responsiveness is immediate. The grapes are carefully
sorted before being pressed. The vinification will take
several weeks before the nectar ends up in the barrels
for several months. It will then be bottled one year after the harvest.
“These are wines that are actually rich, opulent, like
Meursault but with freshness. » A few kilometers north of Meursault,
Beaune is considered the capital of Burgundy wines, it is also an
important historical town in the region. The Hospices de Beaune are one of the
most famous historical monuments. Its flamboyant Gothic architecture,
its polychrome roofs and of course its renowned vineyard make this museum
a must-see. The Hôtel-Dieu was founded in 1443 at the end of the
Hundred Years’ War, which saw the French and English clash. Beaune and its region were devastated
by famine and plague which decimated the countryside. It is therefore for the poor and
the most deprived that this hospital was built ahead of its time, inspired by the most remarkable Hôtels-Dieu
in Flanders and Paris. All around the courtyard, the harmonious organization
of the buildings regulates the life of the charitable institution: under the ship’s hull vaults
of the Poor Room, the sick are welcomed. The Hospices de Beaune own an
exceptional wine estate. Most of the plots correspond to
premier cru and grands cru appellation areas. The forty-one prestige vintages obtained have been sold since
1794 in the form of auctions, on the third Sunday in November. These are the famous sales
of the Hospices of Beaune. For five centuries, their earnings have been entirely allocated to the
charitable and religious works of the old and new hospital institutions.
In the city center, the collegiate basilica of Notre-Dame de Beaune is one of the last
great Romanesque churches in Burgundy. Its construction began in the middle of the
12th century on the model of the Cluny Abbey. It was completed half a century later
with remarkable stylistic unity. Just behind the cathedral, the Xavier
Bouzerand workshop opens onto the street. A well-known figure among the inhabitants of Beaune, he is
both a winegrower and a sculptor. At 81, his passion for his work is intact.
“Besides, a winegrower who leaves his vineyard and his presses and everything for
half a day is not seen. No, it was passionate. The hardest wood is the one
in big yellow there, the two little yellow women. This big one: acacia, that
‘s really the hardest one here, very veined, very nice. The pear tree is much more
neutral in veining and I am showing you a lime tree, the small one and the other with a lot of veining.
Beaune is also a city of merchants, with many wine houses having their headquarters there.
Bouchard Père et fils is one of the best known. It occupies the grounds of the former Château
de Beaune, a royal fortress built in the 15th century by King Louis XI.
Four of the five original towers have survived, as well as part of the rampart.
The pavilion is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Buried deep underground, cellars run across
the entire property on either side. It is a perfect environment for the
wines, which flourish peacefully. Located 3 km south of Beaune, the Château de
Pommard is still a fine example of the great houses of Burgundy. Through tours
of its elegant gardens and tailor-made tastings, the estate has grown by
welcoming new wine lovers. The prestige of the Château de Pommard dates back to the High
Middle Ages. Around 1098, Eudes I, Duke of Burgundy, built a fortress not far from the castle
and established his sovereignty in the village. Today, visitors
from China are discovering the sometimes confusing exercise of tasting.
“In the Cote de Nuit you have red wine, in the Cote de Beaune you have white and
red and here we are in Pommard in the Cote de Nuit. This is a St. George’s Night.
“Sometimes it’s a little complicated. But that’s precisely what wealth is:
adapting to different cultures. We all have a completely different palate
and a different way of reacting, so it’s good to be able to adapt and it’s also
enriching for the other person as well as for us. “It’s very light, very sweet,
it’s a simple but well-made wine. We leave these new enthusiasts to
go back a few kilometers to the north, where the abbey of Notre Dame de Citeaux
also has much to teach us. Founded in 1098 by Robert de Molesmes, the Abbey
of Cîteaux is the cradle of the Cistercian Order. Born in the greatest destitution, the community
took off with the arrival of Saint Bernard in 1113 and within 30 years would number nearly 500
more brothers. Thanks to the dissemination of his writings, Saint Bernard will be at the origin of a true
school of spirituality. By the end of the 12th century, the Order had more than 500 monasteries.
Today, only two buildings can still bear witness to the grandeur of Citeaux. The
Revolution drove the monks out. The estate was sold to speculators in 1791. Since then,
however, the abbey has recovered. In 1998, the 9th centenary of its foundation was celebrated.
In addition to its spiritual importance, Citeaux made a contribution that changed the fate of the region
: it was its monks who were the first to map the “climates” of
Burgundy, these plots of vines delimited by geological movements and today
recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites. “This first foothill of the Somme is
a succession of geological steps. It is a geological collapse which is approximately
120 million years old, including the collapse of the Bresson plateau which collapses to a depth of more than 100m
or even 1000m in certain places. And then on either side of this collapse,
we have a succession of small geological steps. You arrive in Burgundy, you
look at the hillside and you look where there are walls. Where there is a wall it is
because there is a geological change. Count Louis Michel Liger-Belair has
owned the Château de Vosne-Romanée, which has been in his family for 200 years and is located in the
village of the same name in the heart of what could be called the golden square of Burgundy wines.
The castle’s cellars are full of exceptional bottles. Some of the most prestigious vintages
surround the Vosne Romanée plots, such as the Echezeaux grand crus to name just one.
We once again find our monks from the Cîteaux Abbey who, from the 12th century,
built wine-growing buildings in the middle of the vineyards. They
were enriched in the 16th century with a main building designed in the purest Renaissance style,
the legendary Château du Clos de Vougeot. The building was restored after the Second
World War, when it was acquired by the Brotherhood of the Knights
of Tastevin, these true ambassadors of wine and the Burgundian art of living.
Today, part of the buildings houses the presses from the medieval period.
Plots of land surround the château, with 84 owners sharing the appellation.
“The Clos de Vougeot castle was created by the monks of Citeaux from the 12th century
and so in the cellar behind me, there are more than 700 vintages of Clos de
Vougeot which have been aged and today in this cellar it is the headquarters of the
brotherhood of the knights of the tastevin and also of the climates of Burgundy recently
classified as a world heritage site.” The Knights of Tastevin organize
assemblies during sumptuous dinners where 500 guests are welcomed in the cellar of the
castle. Whether you are a member of the brotherhood or about to become one, people flock there from all over
the world several times a year. “The brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevin has been organizing
chapters for over 80 years. This afternoon we are at our 1669th and the spirit of
the brotherhood is first of all to bring together friends around a simple idea: to share wine between
winegrowers and with friends of winegrowers and it is on this idea that the brotherhood
of the Knights of Tastevin was founded in November 1934. Since then it has spread throughout the world
: we have 75 branches around the world and then 12,000 members, half of whom are abroad. »
These very private chapters are a fantastic tool for promoting the great wines of Burgundy.
Today, a group that came specially from Florida will see its leader awarded the Chevalier
du Tastevin, an inestimable honor for a great wine lover.
About thirty kilometers from there, we arrive
in Dijon, capital of Burgundy. The influence of this city dates back to Roman times, when it
established itself as a major trading hub, at the crossroads of Northern Europe and the
Mediterranean regions. In the 14th century, the Valois Dukes of Burgundy ruled one of the
most brilliant courts in Europe. Dijon then became the seat of the Order of the
Golden Fleece. From the Renaissance onwards, the private mansions of the nobility of the robe redesigned
the landscape of the “city of a hundred bell towers”. The Palace of the Dukes and States
of Burgundy now houses the town hall and the Museum of Fine Arts of Dijon.
The Gabriel staircase leading to the Hall of States is a testimony to the splendor and prestige of this
Duchy, then the equal of the great European kingdoms. Around the Palace, houses from the
medieval period illustrate the history of the city before the arrival of the Dukes. Dijon has always known how to shine
: metropolis of the Lingones in the Celtic era, it became a Gallo-Roman city. Even after the
French Revolution, the city was able to reinvent itself by taking advantage of the industrialization of the region.
“Ah, the beautiful city with a hundred bell towers,” Henry IV is said to have said, marveling at the
many cathedrals and churches that were fortunately spared from
the destruction of recent wars. Gingerbread is an
ancient specialty of the city. Founded in 1796, the Mulot et Petitjean house still occupies
its illustrious boutique in the city center. The factory, located a little further along
the boulevards, has also retained its character. Gingerbread is produced there
following the original recipe to the letter. “Le Mulot et Petitjean is a
company that dates back to 1796, I am the 9th generation at the head of this house.
“These ingredients are flour, honey, sugar, some eggs and of course
baking powders and spices of course. The characteristic of
Dijon gingerbread is that it is made from wheat flour and the spice used is anise. »
« So the success and the secret of making gingerbread is its first step:
making a base dough that we leave to rest. Then, we will take this dough and
make a dough that we call brachée in our language, in our spice bread jargon.
So here we are really talking about know-how because the mother dough is a very, very hard dough
and we have a storage period to respect otherwise we cannot work the product. »
When it comes out of the oven, the aromas fill the room. Nuns,
miniature or traditional loaves, the sweet aromas blend together.
Gourmets still honor gingerbread, which is
clearly far from being out of fashion. Mustard is another iconic product
of the region. You have to go to Beaune to find the last manufacturer to
have maintained an artisanal method, Moutarderie Fallot, founded in 1840.
“We respect the traditions of the master mustard makers, that is to say that
we still crush the seeds with a stone mill as the artisan mustard maker did
in the last century and even before. So this very traditional process, which is not very productive,
really allows us to have a much more granular, much tastier paste, and
with a process called room temperature. » “We really favor regional raw materials
, seeds that come from Burgundy, that’s what we want to highlight
in our productions. Today, 60% of our ingredients and
seeds come from the region. Next year in 2019 we will be at 100%.”
Let’s continue north to discover a new architectural marvel
: Fontenay Abbey, one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries.
“The Cistercians were indeed looking for remote places, places that were difficult
to access and that required work, a lot of work to be able to tame this nature a little
while respecting it. So the Cistercians will arrive in marshy areas,
they will look for water for hydraulics, to be able to use hydraulics and
then they will gradually level these lands and build these abbey buildings
while respecting the Cistercian plan. » Founded in 1118, it is one of the few
Romanesque-style abbeys still intact. Now privately owned, it is listed
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The spacious upstairs dormitory is covered
with a magnificent 15th-century oak frame, reminiscent of the hull of an
overturned ship. The monks slept there, fully clothed, on simple straw mattresses.
Fontenay contains an unusual building in an abbey: a forge.
“They will create in Fontenay a forge which is very large for the time,
more than 50m long and then they will revolutionize this technology. The Cistercians
themselves invented the martinet, that is to say this large hammer which made it possible to strike down
iron burls in order to shape them. We now go up the Burgundy Canal
in the Yonne towards Tonnerre and Chablis. The Dionne pit is at the origin of the creation
of Tonnerre. It is an exsurgent spring, fed by the infiltration of precipitation
in the surrounding limestone plateau, but also by a river. This source stands out for
its flow rate of around 300 liters per second, and for the size of its network
which extends over more than 40 km. The Burgundy Canal is a
small-gauge waterway 242 km long. It connects the Seine basin to that of the Rhône.
Inaugurated in 1882 with 189 locks, it was intended to facilitate the transport of
goods, but was very quickly overtaken by the train. Today it is
only used for pleasure boating. On the banks of the Yonne, Joigny and its
port have become an important stopover for this recreational marine. But the
heights of the town have more charm: there are houses dating from the 16th
century, such as this house called “the pillory”, which belonged to a family of drapers.
You can also admire the magnificent Bailiff’s residence and its two sculpted facades.
In the heart of the merchants’ and wine merchants’ district, the church of
St Thibault has undergone many modifications since its construction in 1076. A
close neighbor of Joigny, Auxerre is also rich in religious buildings. The history of
the city goes back to the deepest roots of Burgundy, since it developed in
the Gallo-Roman era. In the 1st century AD, it was already a small town. However,
the remains of this distant past are rare. The city is nevertheless full of splendors that are very
popular with visitors: the Abbey of Saint Germain, whose first constructions
date from the 5th century. Its crypt is a particularly well-
preserved example of Carolingian architecture. A rectangular circulation corridor surrounds
an impressive central confession. The crypt presents a cycle of unique frescoes dating back
to the 9th century, the oldest in France. It is very likely that the
Christian and monastic history of Burgundy began within these walls. Saint
Germain, then Bishop of Auxerre, rests in the crypt. A key figure
of his time, he is known for his evangelistic and diplomatic efforts, which enabled
his county to avoid numerous wars. East of Auxerre, the hillsides of Chablis
are the jewels of the Morvan in northern Burgundy. A dry wine flourishes in
these vineyards with limestone soils. Nicknamed the Eternal Hill, Vézelay
is one of the most beautiful villages in France, which has earned it a
UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The Gallo-Romans were the first to exploit
this land, already working the vines, then they built thermal baths, a
mark of important interest for the time. High places of Christianity in the Middle Ages,
Vézelay is an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
Built between 1120 and 1150, the basilica is rich in a double tympanum: inside,
the Christ in glory is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture.
The choir was rebuilt at the end of the 12th century in a Gothic style,
whose stained glass windows help to reinforce the symbolism of divine light.
The decoration is quite discreet. The sculptures were carved into the tops of the columns so as
not to distract monks and worshippers from their prayers. The basilica is currently undergoing a
meticulous and delicate restoration that will last several years.
Below the hill, in St Père-sous-Vezelay, Nicolas Nansot produces
virgin oils from local seeds. “A large part of my production comes from
seeds directly from producers around the oil mill, the sunflower comes from Aquin, it
travels 5 km to come here. And more than 70%, let’s say, of my production comes from producers,
directly in Burgundy and that’s all organic. » This cold-pressing method helps
preserve the unique flavors of each seed. Nicolas presses walnuts,
hazelnuts, almonds, sesame, but also a lesser-known seed, camelina.
“Camelina is an old variety of seed from the mustard family, so it is a
seed that has been cultivated for 60-70 years and is now being cultivated
organically again for its properties, which are quite easy to cultivate in organic farming, and also for
its nutritional properties. It is an oil very rich in omega 3, which has a good taste. So
that’s a nice seasoning. » We stay in the Morvan to
discover the feudal castle of Bazoches, built in the 12th century. At the time
of the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus, the kings of England and
France, were the first occupants. In 1675, the castle was purchased by Marshal
Vauban. The brilliant military architect and town planner of Louis XIV stayed there while
working on his most famous creations. Both descendants of Charlotte de Mesgrigny
d’Aunaie, Vauban’s eldest daughter, the current owners have reconstructed their
respective family trees on the walls of the castle. The rich furniture of their illustrious
ancestor is carefully preserved: the classical period is perfectly reconstructed.
Vauban took advantage of the calm of Bazoches to design plans for more than 300
strongholds throughout France. An undisputed master of military strategy, he developed
ingenious methods of attack and siege. Let’s leave the plains to dive into the
Morvan Natural Park, a more rugged landscape, populated by forests and covered with lakes.
The Settons is undoubtedly the most beautiful example. This artificial lake was created following
the construction in 1854 of a dam on the Yonne to regulate navigation and facilitate
the floating of timber to Paris. Sawmills and fir plantations
intended for Christmas trees abound in this part of the region.
Some treasures have to be earned… Like this waterfall, hidden behind a small forest. At the Saut
de Gouloux, the Caillot flows into the Cure and tumbles down a 10m high granite fault.
Nearby, in the village of Gouloux, Saboterie Martin still makes
its wooden clogs by hand. Plastic will not win the hearts of some
die-hard fans who will always prefer these traditional shoes for
working in the gardens or fields. The machines have been the same since
the workshop was founded in 1947. First step: Luc Four begins
to carve a log. A clever system then allows
several to be modeled at the same time. The hooves will finally be dug.
“Now I’m going to trim the hoof. -What does parry mean?
-It means finishing the nose and heel of the hoof. -Okay, what is wood?
-Birch -Okay. And yet we are in a region of Santa Claus trees then?
-Yes, yes, but there are also birch forests. »
Although the workshop does not produce every day, orders for covered or half-covered clogs
with quilted leather straps are still coming in. In Morvan, the
population density is low. We can therefore immerse ourselves in a captivating nature,
where there are many large, unspoiled spaces. The last of the great lakes of Morvan, Saint Agnan
was also created by the construction of a dam on the Cousin River in 1969.
2.5 kilometers long, it is very popular with fishermen who find all
the large freshwater fish there. Livestock farming is an essential activity in
the Morvan. During the summer, the cows migrate from one meadow to another,
becoming an integral part of the landscape. Mont Beuvrey is an opportunity for a new
dive into History. 2000 years ago, Bibracte was a powerful Gallic capital.
Maud and Julien are falconers. They organize walks with birds of prey.
“ We are on Mont Beuvrey, so it is the
second highest point in all of Burgundy, it is the second highest point.
-The Morvan of the summits -So we are going to take a little walk with
the birds in total freedom so it is again something unique and if we
can do it it is because it is a species which is very particular. So
Kate and Max are Harris’s hawks, American hawks that are gregarious. They are
the only hunting birds of prey to be gregarious, to live in groups, to hunt in
groups exactly like wolves except that everything will happen in the air.
Through their structure, Maud and Julien seek to preserve several breeds of birds
whose habitat is becoming increasingly restricted, but which find in these forests a beautiful
welcoming land. The falconry duo is convinced that through education,
their conservation can progress. “So I present to you Jupiter. Jupiter is a
laggar falcon from India and Pakistan, a species that is in decline a little. For the past
ten years, we have noticed that there is a big problem in his original environment. A species
that we cherish very much and with which we have integrated a conservation program which is led
by the British which is called Project Lugger “it is a barn owl so it is an
owl that can be found everywhere in France which we call the barn owl. We
find it almost everywhere in France, but it is really a French bird which is
experiencing some problems in terms of the size of its populations, which lack
habitat and nesting sites. » Bibracte is one of the largest
European archaeological sites from the Iron Age. Capital of the Aedui, a powerful people of
Celtic Gaul, its population is estimated to have reached between 5,000 and 10,000 people.
The excavations revealed the remains of solid ramparts, places of
worship, a necropolis and even a basilica. Twenty kilometers away, Autun radiates a
glorious past. In the first century BC, Emperor Augustus created Augustodunum, sister and rival of Rome.
Today, people also go there to visit the Saint Lazare Cathedral, a relic
of the city’s medieval past, surrounded by its half-timbered houses.
However, it was during the Roman era that the city experienced its greatest growth. It was
then surrounded by walls pierced by 4 gates and protected by numerous towers.
The theatre, which could probably seat 20,000 people, was
one of the largest in the Roman world. The gates were the
main entrances to the city. A little further south, we arrive at Antully
: the opportunity to re-establish the truth about Burgundy snails. Guilaine Bascop
welcomes us to the Noue farm, where she breeds so-called gros gris snails.
“So we just put our 360,000 babies in the parks, so that was in mid-May, so
when we receive them they are as big as a big mole. This is the size of the snail
like a large mole. In nature, a large gray snail will take 2 seasons to
go from baby to adult size and we, because we are breeders, will water
our parks every night so every night the snail will smell the humidity and it will come out
of its shell and it will eat the vegetation and that every night, every night, we will create
one or two storms per night. So the snail will grow twice as fast as in nature. »
The Burgundy snail lives 2 years on average. Unlike the Gros Gris, it
hibernates in winter, which makes it tougher… but also less tasty.
“And when we talk about a Burgundy snail we often unknowingly refer
to a recipe, to a culinary tradition that dates back to the time of the kings of France where
it was called escargot à la bourguignonne because the recipe was born in Burgundy, namely
butter, parsley, garlic and shallot. » We end our Burgundian journey in the
very south of the region, with the wonderful story of the Digoin factory. This
stoneware and pottery factory, founded in 1875, almost disappeared several times before
being revived by Corinne Jourdain Gros. “It was first called the ceramic valley
because there were a multitude of small businesses that settled along the
canal for the proximity of the canal to transport both dry materials,
raw materials and wood to fuel the kilns. But above all because there was a
clay quarry nearby. So today we continue to use the two clays
which come from the Burgundy region, from Alliers and Saone et Loire. Here we are in the room where
we dry the horticultural pieces, in fact the large garden pots which are calibrated by hand and so
in this room they are drying. » Burgundy sandstone remains an asset today,
which has however required efforts to adapt the products to current tastes. Passing on
a knowledge that is disappearing has not been easy. But the result is
there: not only is the factory reviving, but it is achieving a real commercial success.
“The company was founded in 1875. Initially it was a family business until 2002,
there were up to 600 people on the site. Here we are on the original site, so we are on
2 hectares, 18,000m2 of buildings. My deepest wish is really to show this
beautiful know-how and show this beautiful material which is stoneware and in fact I said to myself we have
just fabulous products. Stoneware is an exceptional material for storing and
preserving food. We want to cook in this beautiful material and then we also want
to return to the roots of our grandparents. » It is on this artisanal note that we
leave Burgundy, which undoubtedly demands a new visit, as there are still so many
places to explore and treasures to discover.