On 06 May 2016
Beaune, City of Light.
The town of Beaune invites you to share a visual and sensory experience that’s out of this world.
The bright, colourful attractions are an invitation to contemplation and to discover the historical heritage of the Capital of Burgundy Wines. A new experience guaranteed through this nocturnal display that takes you along the ramparts, to the squares and courtyard within this Burgundy town.
Following the marked light trail, more than 30 monuments and fortifications are in the spotlight; at the end of your tour, the town will have no more secrets for you!
Remember your smartphone so you can download an audio-guided tour of the town, providing access to additional historical content.
Notre Dame Collegiate
Projections underline the building’s various stages of construction. The Notre Dame Collegiate, mainly Roman in style, built by the canons, has seen several additions over the centuries. In 1844, the famous architect Viollet-le-Duc carried out restoration work under the direction of Maurice Ouradou.
The Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne houses the Wine Museum
The play of light that passes along the timbered first-floor gallery evokes the wars and victories of Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy. If you have a full day, don’t forget to visit the Wine Museum, the first eco-museum in France and labelled a Musée de France. It traces the history of growing vines and wine-making from ancient times to the 1920s.
Chapel of St Etienne
This place, which today serves as an exhibition hall, is the former Carmelite chapel. The layout reveals French gardens and lush cascades of flowers, signs that evoke the coming to Beaune of the Sun King in 1658.
Hôtel-Dieu
The outer wall lends itself to set an amazing scene around the personality and work of the founder of the Hôtel Dieu, Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salin. This charitable institution from the 15th century is undoubtedly one of the town’s flagship sites, the light show in turn highlighting the arms of the builders and evoking the Great Hall of the Poor.
The Rempart des Dames
The old fortified wall serves as an introduction to the Capital of Burgundy Wines. So don’t be surprised to discover elements highly symbolic of the town such as vines, cellars, barrels and even the famous Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction. In 2015, the town, its great trading houses and vineyards were classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco under the title of Burgundy’s vineyard ‘climats’ (vine-growing parcels of land).
Porte Marie de Bourgogne
This projection is a fine tribute to the different historical personalities of the town of Beaune, including the Duke of Burgundy Charles le Téméraire, Isabelle de Bourbon and their daughter, Marie, last heir of the Valois dynasty in Burgundy.
The Belfry
On these slender walls, you’ll find the famous Chronophotography of a cat in freefall by Etienne-Jules Marey, physician and physiologist born in Beaune in 1830, considered one of the precursors of cinema. The facade then opens onto clock faces symbolising time’s acceleration.
