Travels with Forty Roses: Roaming Roadways

The Château de Châteauneuf, also known as the Château de Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, is a fortress in the commune of Châteauneuf, 43 km from Dijon, in the Côte-d'Or department of France. It is a vast stone building, 75 metres in length and 35 metres broad, atop a rocky outcrop, 475 metres above the surrounding plain. It dominates the valley of Canal de Bourgogne and is a stirring site when one approaches from below. The castle was built in 1132 by Jean de Chaudenay for his son Jehan, who took possession of it in 1175 and became Jean I de Châteauneuf. Facing the threat of the Hundred Years' War, the lords of Châteauneuf then built the powerful fortifications around the 12th century keep. After nine generations in the castle, the reign of the Châteauneufs ended in tragedy when in 1456 the last heiress, Catherine de Châteauneuf, was burned alive for poisoning her second husband. There is little detail of that tragic tale! Thereafter the Chateau passed through many hands and alliances.

During the French Revolution, all royal symbols and coats of arms were damaged or destroyed. Some of the photos below show this destruction, which is common in France due to the hatred of the aristocracy. Never forget the guillotine! The Château is now held in the hands of the local commune. The Region has the will to continue its restoration and make it the centerpiece of a heritage and cultural project focused on ducal Burgundy. We need to investigate just how the Region may manage this. The UK has the National Trust for the preservation and protection of historic buildings but we are unclear as to how the French system is set up. A question for our friends!

The Abbey of Fontenay, another beautiful UNESCO site we visited, is a Cistercian abbey located in the town of Marmagne, in the same department of Côte-d'Or in France. It was founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118, and built in the Romanesque style. Situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by forests it is an elegant and green oasis of lawn and garden in this early spring. The day we visited the sun was warm and bright, birds sang in chorus and we strolled through the beautiful grounds entirely on our own. During the time of the monks a huge forge was constructed in a massive building on the grounds. The Forge was built away from the religious buildings of the monastery, to mark a clear separation between prayer and work, which were the two main activities of the monks. It dates from the late 12th century. This building, which measures more than 50 meters long, is reinforced by a series of powerful buttresses that evoke intense activity.

Archaeologists who have studied the Forge and iron mines nearby believe it is one of the oldest metallurgical plants in Europe. It probably had two furnaces and several mills operating hydraulic hammers, one of which was recently restored. The sales of whatever was produced by the monks provided substantial resources to the Abbey.

It is difficult to believe that at one time all the buildings abandoned by the church had been used as a paper mill. It is the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world and was designated a World Heritage site in 1981.

After the monks left following the Revolution, Fontenay Abbey was sold by the revolutionaries as a national asset, and transformed into a paper mill by the purchaser.

It was bought in 1820 by the paper maker Elie de Montgolfier, nephew of the hot air balloon inventor. It has remained since then in the same family from generation to generation. At the closure of the paper mill, Edouard Aynard, an art patron from Lyons who married a Montgolfier, undertook a massive restoration project apparently without the help of an architect.

He carefully studied the various buildings and devoted part of his fortune to restore the entire abbey to its original appearance.

The Abbey has passed to his son and his grandson, father of the current owner.

The site is maintained with care and passion by the family. A beautiful and peaceful place where one could feel the history as we trod the soft turf where once walked those ancient monks.