Vézelay

Vézelay is principally noted for Vézelay Abbey (Basilica of St. Magdalene), sited here since the 9th century.

According to legend, not long before the end of the first millennium a monk named Baudillon brought relics (bones) of Mary Magdalene to Vézelay from Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. In 1058 the Pope confirmed the genuineness of the relics, leading to an influx of pilgrims that has continued to this day. Vézelay Abbey was also a major starting point for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, one of the most important of all medieval pilgrimage centres. This was crucially important in attracting pilgrims and the wealth they brought to the town.

Year Decision Comments
1979 Inscribed Reasons for inscription

Reviews

David Berlanda (Italy / Czech Republic):
In our trip to France we have been to the beautiful village of Vézelay , famous from the 11th century because of the belief that the Benedictine abbey on the top of the hill held the relics of Mary Magdalene, that became the object of one of the greatest Christian pilgrimage and also the point of departure of one of the pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela, that profited to the town: it counted in the 12th century 8000 to 10000 inhabitants, many for the period. On the Easter day of the year 1146 was held on the hill the assembly that convoked the departure of the Second Crusade: St. Bernard preached in the presence of the king Louis VII, the queen Eleanor, many lords, prelates and people from all walks of life. In 1190 Philip August and Richard the Lion-Hearted reunited here their armies and departed to the Third Crusade. The king St. Louis, very devoted to the Madeleine, visited Vézelay four times and in 1217 St. Francis of Assisi founded on the hill the first Franciscan convent in France (La Cordelle), that now contains of the original building only the chapel. The beautiful abbey church, founded in the 9th century was rebuilt after a fire from 1120 in the Burgundian Romanesque style and finished with the Romanesque and Gothic choir. The church, that was in bad conditions after the French revolution, was restored from 1840 to 1859 by Viollet-le-Duc, that entirely modified the façade and the portals, that have only a few original parts; only the tympanums and two of the three towers are original. The narthex has three naves supported by pillars and three portals with relieves. The stunning double central portal has relieves on the tympanum, with the Mission of the Apostles, on the pillar, on the internal and external arches and on the lintel. The interior of the church has three 62 m long naves slightly distorted by the downward thrust of the groined vaulting, a short transept and a nice choir; the main arcade has horseshoe-shaped arches with stones of two colours and the capitals of the pillars have beautiful relieves. The crypt, built in the 9th century and reconstructed later, has three naves and some frescos and contains the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. The cloister, entirely reconstructed by Viollet-le-Duc, gives access to the chapter house, that has nice ogival vaulting. The village is encircled by walls with the towers Pink, of the Ursulines and of the Pigeons and the gates New, of the Holy Cross and of Barle. The ancient streets of the village conserve the church of St. Stephen, the cloister of St. Pierre, the convent of the Ursulines, the old hotels Fosseyeux and of the Abbey, the monks' dormitory, the well of St. Stephen, the town hall, the tower Gaillon, the centres of Jean-Cristophe and of St. Magdalene, the cemetery and many houses (the nicest are that of Romain Rolland, of Theodore de Bèze, of Max-Pol-Fouchet, of St. Bernard, of Pontot, Chapter, of the Pigeons, of Georges Bataille, of Jules Roy and of the Police) with sculpted portals, nice windows, small towers and wells made of wrought iron.
I liked this village very much especially because of the beautiful architecture and decorations of the church. It's worth to be visited if you are in Burgundy (if you go there you must leave the car out of the centre) and it justifies the inscription also because of its big historical importance.
Photo: Vézelay – Basilique of St. Mary Magdalene
Date posted: March 2006
Paul Tanner (UK):
Now anyone doing a relaxing touring holiday in Burgundy would give Vezelay a few hours. Michelin gives it 2*. The walk up to the abbey and ramparts through the main street of old houses is very pleasant. No doubt also someone with religious convictions could find the religious significance of the place moving. But a WHS?? I think not.

This hill town in Burgundy contains the 12th century Benedictine abbey church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine which some consider “one of the most important surviving monuments of architecture and sculpture of the Romanesque period”. By the 16th century it was already on ruins and was partially razed during the French Revolution. The building you see is that which was reconstructed in the mid 19th century though much of the decoration appears to be considered original.

France has 28 WHS sites and 8 of these are entirely or mainly of religious buildings (including 4 cathedrals) There are a further 3 cities (Strasburg, Ile de France, and Lyons) which include yet more cathedrals. And there are another 4 religious buildings including 3 more cathedrals within its 38 entries on the Tentative list! France also has a site called “Routes of Santiago de Compostela” – all 3 of whose starting points (Bourges, Mont St Michel and Vézelay) are also WHS in their own rights and Vezelay has 2 buildings, including its Abbey, inscribed on the list of buildings for this site too (I might add that UK is not immune from this compulsion to nominate Religious buildings but has so far kept this to 3 Cathedrals and 1 ruined abbey with only 1 further ruin on its Tentative list. Italy, Spain and Germany might run France close but would not, I think, catch it!).

In my view this is overkill. If every Christian building in Europe which could be considered “significant” by the experts for its architecture and/or religious/historical importance were to be nominated then lots of countries could finish up with lists even longer than that of France! Choosing the best might just about be acceptable for a small country with few other potential sites but France seems hell bent on“flooding the market”! With the best will in the world Vézelay is a second ranking site. It architectural credentials are limited and somewhat specialised. Moreover its religious credentials are covered by another site. I see little “uniqueness” in yet another pilgrimage abbey especially a heavily reconstructed one.

Still you have got to give the good burghers of Vezelay top marks for playing the UNESCO game to the full. To get 2 listings for 1 place shows that they have been doing a wonderful job for their tourist industry! They got in very early in 1979 and, when the Compostela route was added in 1998, managed to keep their site separate when really it should have been subsumed within the greater.
Date posted: June 2005


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