THE ART OF GLAZED TILES

the art of glazed tiles

Polychrome roofs are inseparable from Burgundy.

In the Beaune area, those of Hôtel Dieu de Beaune, Château de Santenay and Château de Corton André, for example, are particularly remarkable.

A symbol of prestige

Roofs made of glazed flat tiles draw colorful patterns characteristic of traditional Burgundian architecture.

Polychrome roofs are symbols of prestige, whose opulence reflects that of the building’s owner.

Luminously beautiful, they first covered the great cathedrals of the 13th century, then princely residences in the 14th century, before opening up to the wealthy urban bourgeoisie of the 15th century.

Glazed tiles, a local product

In the Middle Ages and under the Ancien Régime, tile factories producing these materials were mainly located in a triangle between Dijon, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Saint-Jean de Losne. From 1860 to 1940, they were replaced by industrial sites in the Saône et Loire region (Montchanin, Ecuisse, Chalon sur Saône). Today, the Chagny tile factory, still in operation, bears witness to this heritage.

Did you know?

Varnished roofs can be seen in many parts of the world.

In Asia, North Africa and Europe, the same desire to combine aesthetics with better protection led to castles and palaces, cathedrals, temples and mosques being covered with similar tiles.

The Forbidden City in Beijing, the churches of Budapest, Vienna, Basel or Saragossa, the Great Mosque of Fez and the temples of Thailand are all part of the same creative impetus as the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune, Saint-Bénigne Cathedral in Dijon or the Synodal Palace in Sens.