Neighbourhoods of Vezelay, Saint-Père

In the middle of Burgundy, in full Celtic and druidic country, Vézelay seems one of the most prestigious sites of knowledge, by teaching the great laws of the life of cosmos

Near the site of Vézelay, in Druyes, we find a cave deep, currently blocked, which was called “the cellar with the fairies” and of which the origin and the use go back to one extremely old time. With Saint-Père, we discover the site of the salted fountains dominated by three granite spurs.

The site of the Salted Fountains is at the south of Vézelay, on right bank of the Cure and at two kilometers of Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay. Naturally remarkable by its mineral, radioactive, chlorinated and effervescent water, this site was occupied as of the Age of final Bronze (starting from 1200 front JC) as seems to attest it the necropolis with incineration in the south-west of the thermal baths, or more probably of the Neolithic era.

One dated from the first Age of the Iron (- 900 front JC) of the linings in oak intended to furnish a score well with salted water collecting.

Another phase of occupation extends since the end from the second Age from Iron (before the Roman invasion) until the end from the Roman period.

It is Gallic time which date a curious installation, certainly of religious nature. The center is occupied by a square basin of 1,40 side m, paved at the bottom and on the circumference. The aerated water and salted, that had collected at one former time of the linings of oak, there goes up. The basin is surrounded by an ellipsoidal ring of packed clay, which makes the installation tight. Devoted space is enclosed by a circular enclosure doubles centered exactly on the basin. Between the two circles of the enclosure a roadway ran whose interior edge was to be a rather high wall.

The enclosure was undoubtedly removed by the enlarging of the thermal baths in IIth century. The square basin continued, in spite of later refittings, to receive offerings. This Gallic sanctuary, with its crowned basin and its swimming pool was devoted to the divinities of the sources.

With the XVth century, after the establishment of the attic with salt of Vézelay, the monks make fill all collectings in order to force the inhabitants of the area to buy their salt. The site later will be levelled and filled by operations of fill which will continue until the XVIIIth century because of the pitiless fight that the capacity delivered to the salt traffickers.

The small church of Saint-Père, started in 1200 and finished in 1455, knew all the stages of the evolution of the Gothic style. It became parish church with the XVIth century, replacing the church Saint Pierre (from where the name of the village) burnt in 1567 at the time of the wars of religion and ever rebuilt. Another place highly crowned, “the hope”, the restaurant of Marc Mullion… (personal Opinion, of course…)

Serge Gainsbourg knew well Saint-Père, it spent many days there on the end of his life. (great man, well-sure personal opinion…)

Not far, the commune of Pierre-Perthuis is made up of 2 hamlets on both sides of the Cure: Pierre-Perthuis and  Précy-le-Moult While following the pedestrian path, downstream from the river, the site of the “bored Rock” which gave its name to the village, is natural an arkose arcade 6 height meters papered on the surface by a rich person flora of mountain. Beautiful place, resting, before arriving at the inspired hill.