After a couple days of slow internet, it’s time to catch up. While Noyers-sur-Serein is surrounded by Burgundian farmland, there are still plenty of attractions in the area. We visited the UNESCO listed Basilica of Vezelay and Abbaye de Fontenay last year so I won’t detail those here. This year we elected to visit one of the local chateaux while I checked out a fore runner of the Industrial Revolution.
While the Loire Valley receives the lion’s share of attention for French Chateaux, every area of France has it’s share of outstanding examples. One such is Ancy-Le-Franc which lies on the edge of a picturesque farm village in Burgundy. Designed by the most distinguished Italian architect of the Renaissance and a favorite of King Francois I, it’s the only perfectly symmetrical, four-sided chateau in France. It’s distinguished by it’s outstanding monochrome murals (some quite bloody representations of classic Greek battles) and magnificent coffered ceilings. Again, a little off the beaten path which also means it’s less crowded so well worth the effort to check out.
Now, for something a little different. While Anne took a day off to enjoy our lovely house in Noyers, I visited La Grande Forge de Buffon. The Comte de Buffon was France’s most distinguished naturalist, author of a 36 volume treatise on natural history, and all-a-round enlightened intellect. He was asked by the King of France to find a way to improve iron production, so set about building this forge in 1768 near where the ore was mined in Burgundy. They first hand dug canals off a river to provide the power for the operation. It was quite automated for the time with only four men being required for the furnace operation. As it was a 24/7 operation, they worked 12 hours a day, but on alternating 6 hour shifts. The forge included the furnace, refinery and foundry. It was also self-contained as a farm was built around it and worked by the worker’s families providing everything needed. The workers were even provided with their accommodation, so quite progressive for the time. Next, on to the Loire.
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