Charny, France - visited July 14, 2012

A quick overnight stop in Charny, a tiny commune in the Yonne department of Burgundy just 20 miles east of Montargis, provided a welcome break. While there is not much to this 1700 population town, reflecting on its turbulent and violent history one might conclude it has done well to survive at all.
Charny, known at the time as Caarnetum, first appears on a deed dated 1130 CE. Two hundred years later, with its population at around 2,000, the city appears to have been at its zenith. There was a quarantine facility for lepers, a new defensive wall had been built and, in 1309, King Philippe le Bel stopped by to meet and greet. C'est magnifique! 
In 1358 the town managed to stave off an attack by Sir Robert Knolles, an English knight, during his failed invasion of France. By the 15th century however, Charny's good fortune came to a complete stop. Between 1426 and 1443 (toward the end of the Hundred Years War) the town changed hands six times, bouncing back and forth between the Bourguignons and the Armagnacs. By the end of the war, in 1453, the town was wholly destroyed and was completely abandoned for about 50 years.
Following its eventual resuscitation another misfortune struck in 1706 when a fire razed everything to the ground except a barn and a few houses. Today, Charny continues as the head town of its canton, a distinction held since 1802, and has absorbed the village of “la Mothe aux Aulnaies” along the way.
In summary, another stagnant township of rural France just 75 miles from Paris. A few more pictures here.

Auxerre, France - May 31, 2012

Auxerre is the capital of the Yonne department in the Bourgogne region of north-central France. With a population in the order of 45,000 it is a commercial and industrial center, with industries including food production, woodworking and batteries in addition to world-famous Burgundy wines including the renowned Chablis.
In the 1st and 2nd centuries CE the city was a vibrant Gallo-Roman center and by the 3rd century it had become the seat of a bishop and a provincial capital of the Roman Empire. In the 5th century it received a Cathedral and by the late 11th-early 12th century the area was included inside a new line of defensive walls built by the Counts of Auxerre.
The city actually became part of France under King Louis XI but went on to suffer significantly during the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion. Today, Auxerre maintains a clearly delineated "old town" with all the juice in a compact area on a prominence on the right bank of the river Yonne while modern Auxerre is spread out all around and is relatively bustling.
More images here.

Nevers, France - June 10, 2011

Nevers, a community in the Nièvre department of the Bourgogne region, first appears in written history as Noviodunum, which in 52 BCE, was upgraded to a depot by Julius Caesar. By the end of the 5th century it became the seat of a bishopric and the city later obtained charters in 1194 and in 1231.
The most important religious building in the city is the Cathédrale of Saint Cyr-Sainte Julitte, dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta. The cathedral is actually a combination of two buildings, and possesses two apses - the apse and transept at the west end are the remains of a Romanesque church, while the nave and eastern apse are in the Gothic style and belong to the 14th century.
Today, Nevers manufactures porcelain, agricultural implements, chemical manures, glue, boilers and iron goods, boots and shoes and fur garments, and has distilleries, tanneries and dye works - a really diverse range of light manufacture. More pictures.

June 19, 2009 - Dijon, France

On a cool (cold?) and rainy Friday morning we pulled into Dijon and found a parking spot fairly quickly. Dijon is the capital of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region of east central France, with about 150,000 inhabitants within the city limits. In Celtic times, tin merchants from Britain who traded with Adriatic communities, followed their route along the Seine river, passing through what was to become Dijon, before crossing the Alps into what is now Italy. A settlement called Divio was developed on this site during the Roman period, consolidating the route between Paris and Lyon.
About 1000 CE, Dijon was chosen as their capital city by the dukes of Burgundy, although it wasn't until the 14th and 15th centuries that the city blossomed into its greatest prosperity. Dukes Philippe le Hardi (Philip the Bold), Jean sans Peur (Jean the Fearless), Philippe le Bon (Philip the Good), who actually sold Joan of Arc to the English, and Charles le Téméraire (Charles the Bold) were the guiding hands leading to this success. Dijon lost its capital status however, in 1477 when it was incorporated into the kingdom of France. More recently, the city was occupied by Nazi Germany from June 1940 to early 1945, when it was liberated by the Allies. Dijon of course, is synonymous with mustard. Moutarde de Dijon however, refers only to a manufacturing method for a particular strong mustard relish, a recipe for a genericized product. For Dijon mustard that is actually produced in Dijon, 90% of the mustard seed is actually imported, much of it from Canada. Click here for a flavor of this comfortable French city.

June 18, 2009 - Beaune, France

Beaune was a convenient stopover on our trek north, having a campsite just outside of town and a map footprint suggesting a walled city with plenty to Ooh and Ah about. With a population of 22,000, Beaune is the principal town in the Côte-d'Or department of the Bourgogne, or Burgundy region of central France.
The city center is focused around the irregularly shaped Place de la Halle that bustles with restaurants and a variety of stores. The town's major claims to fame are the 15th century Hôtel-Dieu hospital and the wine auctions, among the largest in France and certainly the major conduit for all varieties of Burgundy. Each Saturday morning there is a large market in town with a smaller one being held each Wednesday. The wine industry is the major element of Beaune's economy although tourism is also significant. It is probable that the area around Beaune has produced wine since 300 CE and, in the middle ages, the industry was largely taken over by the Catholic church who discovered that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes flourished in the various micro-climates of Burgundy.About half of the defensive battlements, ramparts and moat are extant and these are well maintained. Other features include a 12th century clock tower and the 15th century Romanesque/Gothic Notre Dame church. For more on these features, click here.