Page 322 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

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4 COLETTE 5
Auxerre Sens
One of the greats of
! E3 ⌂ Yonne £ French litera ture, the ! E3 ⌂ Yonne £ @
avant-garde writer and
EXPERIENCE Burgundy and Franche-Comté justifiably proud of its fine Forterre, in 1873. She is and Vanne, was important
n Place Jean-Jaurès; www.
n 1–2 quai de la République
actress was born in St-
tourisme-sens.com
www.ot-auxerre.fr
Sauveur-en-Puisaye,
The little town of Sens, at the
Beautifully sited overlooking
near La Puisaye-
the Yonne river, Auxerre is
confluence of the rivers Yonne
perhaps best known for
churches and charming
before Caesar came to Gaul.
her 1944 novella, Gigi,
It was the Senones whose
pedestrianized main square,
but it is her frank – and
place Charles-Surugue.
attempted sacking of the
semi-autobiographical –
Roman Capitol in 390 BC was
The fine Gothic Cathédrale
treatment of mar ried
life and sexuality that
thwarted by a flock of geese.
St-Étienne took more than
launched her into
three centuries to build and
The Cathédrale St-Étienne
is the outstanding glory of
noto riety. Her birth-
was completed around 1560.
Sens. Begun before 1140, it is
place has now been
It is famous for its intricate
13th-century stained glass.
museum cele brating
The choir, which has slender
cathedrals, and its noble
her life and work.
simplicity influenced other
columns and colonnettes,
churches. Louis IX did the
represents the epitome of
town the honour of getting
Gothic elegance, while on transformed into a the oldest of the great Gothic
the western portals is some abbey church of St-Germain. married here in 1234.
beautiful flamboyant The abbey was founded by The exquisite 12th- to 16th-
sculpture sadly damaged by Queen Clothilde, wife of century stained glass shows
war and weather. The crypt is Clovis, the first Christian King biblical scenes, including the
Romanesque, and adorned of France, and is an important Tree of Jesse, and a tribute
with 11th- to 13th-century shrine. This crypt has 11th- to to Thomas Becket, who was
frescoes, including one that 13th-century frescoes and exiled here in 1164. His litur-
depicts Christ riding a white tombs. The former abbey now gical robes are in the Treasury,
horse. The severely pillaged houses the Musée St-Germain part of Les Musées de Sens,
treasury is less impressive, with local Gallo-Roman finds. which has one of the finest
but does have an interesting collections in France.
collection of illuminated Musée St-Germain The performing arts
manuscripts. St Germanus, = ⌂ 2 place St-Germain festi val Musicasens draws
who was bishop of Auxerre § 03 86 18 05 50 # 9am– crowds in July with music
during the 5th century, 6pm Wed–Sun (to 5pm Oct– stages, art instal-
and mentor to St Patrick, Mar) ¢ 1 & 8 May, 1 & 11 lations, dance classes
was buried at the former Nov, last week Dec and even a circus.
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