Discover the beauty of Vézelay

Is this your first visit to Vézelay? Come and explore the must-see sites the mediaeval village of Vézelay is renowned for, from past and present. As a UNESCO World Heritage site and a starting point on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela, Vézelay receives many pilgrims

You are now standing in front of the house of the writer Romain Rolland who was born in Clamecy, in the Nièvre region, in 1866 and died in Vézelay, on 30 December 1944. Romain Rolland received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1915. He founded the review "Europe", was interested in Ind

Théodore de Bèze was born in this house in 1519. His family were members of the gentry who made their living from mining operations in the Niverne region; his father, Pierre de Bèze, was Bailiff of Vézelay. This representative of the King had extensive powers including su

Théodore de Bèze was born in this house in 1519. His family were members of the gentry who made their living from mining operations in the Niverne region; his father, Pierre de Bèze, was Bailiff of Vézelay. This representative of the King had extensive powers including su

Vézelay is built on a hilltop and has neither springs nor wells. Although it is 72 metres deep and 5 metres in diameter, not one drop of water has been drawn from the well on this square. In 1776, it was filled in, but in spite of everything still gave its name to the square which was named "

As part of their charitable work, religious foundations, such as the Abbey in Vézelay, were obliged to help the needy, disabled and sick and to provide guests with a place to stay for the night.The building in front of you is the Abbey's former hostel and infirmary and has retained its 12th C

After the French Revolution, there was concern about the destruction of ancient buildings and the related loss of monuments representing the golden age of different architectural periods. Prosper Mérimée was appointed Inspector of Historic Monuments and tasked with travelling across Fr

You are now standing on the terraced gardens with a view across the Morvan.With the secularisation of the Abbey in the 16th Century, the monks were replaced by canons who lived in a private house while the Abbot lived in a castle beside the church. The first castle was demolished by Abbot Bertier wh

This residence from the beginning of the 20th Century owes its name to the French writer Jules Roy, who bought it at the end of the 1970s and established his office here. The author was born in Algeria in 1907 and died in Vézelay in 2000. He began his career as a seminarist and then joined th

As you learned at the beginning of our tour, the town had seven gates. The two main ones were the Porte du Barle, at the entrance to the Place du Champ de Foire where you began your walk, and the Porte Neuve. This gate formed part of the town's defensive system at its steepest point. From here, pilg