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| Vezelay | ||
| region | Burgundy Franche Comté | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 423 (2018) | |
| height | 302 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Vezelay is a French Commune in the department Yonne in the Burgundy. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France. The Benedictine abbey with the monastery church and pilgrimage basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, which was a sub-destination of the medieval Way of St. James, is of particular importance.
background
Politically, the municipality belongs to the Avallon arrondissement and is the administrative seat of the canton of Vézelay.
The history of the community is closely linked to that of the monastery. It was founded in 858/859 and is still active today. It was initially a women's monastery, but after a while it was converted into a men's monastery. After being sacked by the Normans in 887, it was moved from the valley to its current location on the hill. As early as the 9th century, Vézelay had relics of St. Mary Magdalene. The abbey promoted the Magdalen cult and developed into one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the West in the High Middle Ages, alongside Rome and Santiago de Compostela. One of the routes on the Camino de Santiago led through Vézelay. Due to its religious importance, the place also played an important role in political history at times. Bernhard von Clairvaux called for the second crusade here in 1146; at the beginning of the third crusade, the French King Philip II and Richard the Lionheart met in Vézelay before they set off for the Holy Land.
In the 13th century the place lost its position, Charles of Anjou in Provencal Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume discovered the supposedly real bones of Magdalena. The conflict that broke out between the two abbeys was decided by Pope Boniface VIII in favor of St Maximin. In 1569, during the Protestant iconoclasm, the relics were completely lost. During the French Revolution, all the figurative decorations on the facade of the basilica were also destroyed. From 1840 the dilapidated and even threatened with demolition abbey was restored. In the 1870s, however, relics of Mary Magdalene were once again installed, which once again attracted pilgrims.
getting there
By plane
By train
The nearest train station is Sermizelles Vézelay, about 10 km north of the actual village and the abbey. A local train (TER) stops there three times a day between Avallon and 1 Laroche-Migennes (above Auxerre). But you usually have to wait a long time for the next bus to Vézelay itself.
Only if you leave Auxerre Mon-Fri 11:32 a.m. will you have a direct connection to the bus in Sermizelles and will be in Vézelay at 12:51 p.m. On Sundays and public holidays you have to leave Auxerre at 9:29 a.m. if you want to connect to the bus in Sermizelles, which reaches Vézelay at 10:43 a.m. To get back (Mon-Fri, Sun, public holidays) you have to take the bus at 4:31 p.m., you can connect to the train in Sermizelles after only 12 minutes and are back at 5:35 p.m. in Auxerres (as of February 2016; the current timetable can here can be accessed).
Alternatively, you can hike from the train station or order a taxi (around € 28; Cathy Taxi Vezelay, Tel .: 33 (0) 3 86 42 51 56 or 33 (0) 6 74 53 45 76; Taxis du Crescent Avallon, Tel .: 33 (0) 3 86 31 62 42.
By bus
Regional buses only stop sporadically in Vézelay.
In the street
From the A 6 motorway, take exit 21 / Nitry (Vézelay is already signposted from this exit) or 22 / Avallon (1 km after the toll station, turn right onto the D 50 towards Avallon / Vézelay, from there follow the signs).
Of Auxerre you can take the country road (D 606 towards Dijon / Chalon sur Saone / Avallon), which meanders nicely (partly as an avenue) along the course of the Yonne.
Of Autun take the N 81 towards Paris / Dijon, after about 10 km turn left onto the D 4 towards Barnay / Saulieu / Lucenay l'Évêque, after 30 km turn left onto the D 906 towards Auxerre, follow this road (even if the Signs on the way change to D 606), from Avallon Vézelay is already signposted. Scenic route that leads through the Morvan Nature Park.
From Dijon it is 120 km (1½ hours drive), from Autun just under 100 km (also 1½ hours), from Auxerre a good 50 km (three quarters of an hour).
By boat
On foot
Vézelay is one of the most important stations of the Way of St. James in France. This is where the Via Lemovicensisthat continued over Bourges, Limoges and Périgueux to the Pyrenees and finally to, of course Santiago de Compostela leads. The Way of St. James acts as a “feeder” trier–Metz–Vézelay (approx. 530 km) or Gy (Franche-Comté) –Vézelay
mobility
Tourist Attractions
The Basilique Ste-Marie-Madeleine is a Romanesque monastery church, it was built in the 12th century and it is an important place of pilgrimage. In it are the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. It has been on the list of the UNECO world cultural heritage.
Central nave of the basilica
Main portal of the antechamber
Tower and south facade of the basilica
Capital of the inner porch (mid-12th century)
Choir of the basilica
activities
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
health
Practical advice
trips
- 1 Arcy-sur-Cure caves. In the cave system at Arcy-sur-Cure there are Stone Age cave paintings from around 28,000 to 33,000 years BC. BC, approx. 20 km north of Vézelay.
