|
Châtillon sur Seine
and the astonishing church of Saint-Vorles |
 |
| The Seine at Châtillon is still very young,
but already quite a respectable river.
The town is famous for the discovery of the treasure of Vix in the tomb of a
Princess
buried around the time of the birth of Christ. The centrepiece of the treasure
is
the Vase of Vix, a bronze vessel capable, we are told, of holding 1,100 litres
of wine.
Anywhere else except Burgundy, they'd fill it with water or maybe shrubs. Anyway, you can see it in the local museum. This is the borderland with Champagne, so the wine they produce here is sparkling Burgundy. For me, the highlight of the town is the church of Saint-Vorles. Founded in the 9th century, rebuilt in the 10th and 11th, it was added to in the 14th, 15th, 17th and 19th. Nevertheless, it still retains the primitive Romanesque style of its origins – it is, after all, one of the oldest churches in Burgundy. For me, the joy of the place is the total simplicity of its interior, all the stone plastered and whitewashed like some ancient chalk cavern. And on the oputside, the cascade of chapels, almost one for every century. There used to be a castle and a Bishop's Palace on the hilltop alongside the church, but time has swept them away.
|
|
If I may be permitted a small indulgence, I will mention that another glory of Châtillon is its pâtisserie.
|
|
