History of Burgundy

The region of Burgundy is located between northern and southern Europe and has always been a crossroad for different civilisations. In the Middle Ages the most influential centers of monastic reform throughout Christian Europe, Cluny and Cîteaux, were located in Burgundy. Their influence was not only spiritual but also concerned artistic, intellectual, social, and political subjects.

The Duchy of Burgundy soon became the most powerful state in Europe thanks to the skillful policy of its dukes and to the vanishing power of the King during the Hundred Years’ War. Finally, in the 16th, century Burgundy was annexed by the kingdom of France and benefited from the growing influence of Paris.

Burgundy has a rich and glorious past with abbeys, churches and museums, archaeological sites and monasteries to explore. In this verdant countryside there are unspoilt villages and architectural details at every turn.