Beaune – capital of Burgundy wines 🇫🇷

In the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône, the most famous wines are produced here, and are commonly referred to as Burgundies. 🙂

The route in this part of France is called Route des Grands Crus. It runs from Dijon in the north to Santenay in the south, traversing the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

This route was created in 1937, and was the very first French wine route. This marked the creation of the all-round notion of sightseeing for a vineyard.

The route will naturally take you to its capital: Beaune. The number one place to visit in this town is the ancient Hôtel-Dieu and superb architecture, home to the Fondation Hospitalière des Hospices de Beaune in the Middle Ages.

It was founded in the 15th century by the chancellor of Burgundy when Burgundy was ruled by Duke Philip the Good as a hospital for the poor. It is one of the finest examples of fifteenth-century Burgundian architecture. I was very much impressed by the charitable hospital that existed already in the 15th century, with the finest cure techniques. Not sure if the Renaissance Italy already that time had something similar?

Most of the patients were suffering of the plague. The Hundred Years War (conflict between England and France) and it’s massacres contributed as well.

As soon as Pope Eugene IV blessed the construction; Flemish and French masons, painters and glass cutters were employed. This is the typical example of the Northern Renaissance.

The ceiling of Room of the Poor O is in an upside-down boat and in each beam are sculpted caricatures of important inhabitants of Beaune. The dragons are holding the beams.

Following the large ward is the Chapel, whose location was chosen to allow the bedridden to attend mass ceremony from their beds.

And if you ask about the glazed-tile roof: This technique probably has its origins in Central Europe (possibly from ceramics of Pécs, Hungary) but quickly became a trademark of the architecture of Burgundy (other glazed-tile roofs can be seen in Dijon).

Time to explore more of the city. First impression: it is historic with features from the pre-Roman and Roman eras, through the medieval and Renaissance periods. But survived and in good condition.

The inevitable is the market: Halle de Beaune. The building is interesting as the roof it covered with wheat. And old Central European technique.

And yes, we stopped by for a degustation and bought the best examples of Crémant de Bourgogne. 🙂

The food is a delicacy here, as everywhere in France. I went with the classics: beef bourguignon.

Notre Dame Basilica is one of the last great Romanesque churches in Burgundy. It was built in the 12th century and carved from fruit wood!

It is one of the last Romanesque churches in the Burgundy region. I was very much impressed by pillars of the nave retracing the history of the Noah’s ark and the stoning of Saint Stephen (the first martyr).

But my biggest impression went to the tapestries of life of the Virgin woven in silk, made by Flemish renaissance weavers. We were lucky as the area behind the altar just opened and the interpreter with so much passion explained the history of the carpets. The church organs added to the impression.