생테냥 르 자야르 최고의 사이클링 경로

It is pleasant to sit here, take a break and look at the Loire. There is a campsite right next door, but it is fenced in and hardly noticeable. A little way along the bank there are a few typical Loire boats.

Impressive castle and beautiful city center

Nestled in a meander of the Loire, the town of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire is home to one of the most beautiful jewels of Romanesque architecture: an 11th and 12th century basilica including the porch tower, decorated with twelve historic capitals. , the monumental portal and the nave constitute the most remarkable elements. Founded around 650 on the grounds of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa, Fleury Abbey has housed the relics of Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism and patron saint of Europe, since 672. During the 8th century, the patronage of the Prince of the Apostles was abandoned for that of Saint Benedict. This event is at the origin of the rapid expansion, prosperity and influence of the abbey which became Saint-Benoît de Fleury, while the village later became that of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire. In the 9th century, after the ordeal of the Norman invasions which pillaged and destroyed the monastery, Fleury Abbey flourished again. The 10th and 11th centuries were the great era of Fleury's spiritual, intellectual and artistic influence. The construction of Fleury was probably completed in 1218. A few centuries later, the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion ruined the monastery and disrupted regular life, the community's numbers collapsed. The French Revolution will end up dispersing the community of Fleury Abbey. But in 1944, a community of around forty monks resettled in the area and undertook the reconstruction of the monastery. A community of thirty-three monks lives there today under the direction of Father Abbot Etienne Ricaud. In 1947, the fourteenth centenary of the death of Saint Benedict led the abbey to be elevated to the status of a basilica. The visitor is invited to admire the fabulous historic capitals present in the porch tower, the nave and the choir; the magnificent paving which extends around the altar as well as the crypt where the relics of the patron saint rest. Not to be missed is the north portal and its monumental lintel carved in high relief.

We already find traces of a monastery in Fleury in the year 620. In 660, relics of Saint-Benoît were brought there and the abbey became Saint-Benoît de Fleury. Around the year 1000, the abbey experienced a golden age and the construction of the current basilica was launched. It will be consecrated in 1218. From the 16th to the 18th century, wars and the Revolution damaged the monastery. However, a community of 24 monks still lives there today.

The castle of Dampierre-en-Burly dates from the 15th and 16th centuries, when it belonged to the Cugnac family. Decorated by the painter Michel Dorigny, it was destroyed during the French Revolution. Only the clock tower, which serves as the entrance, remains of the original building. The current castle was rebuilt in the 19th century by Amédée de Béhague, an agronomist who created an estate of 2,000 hectares. The castle is not open to the public, but you can admire its architecture and gardens from the outside. You can also discover the neighboring village of Dampierre-en-Burly, which has remains of fortifications from the Middle Ages.

Nice view of the castle of Dampierre-en-Burly from the bridge separating the Etang du Bourg and the Etang du Grand Moulin. It was built in the 17th century then completely renovated in the 19th and today offers us its magnificent ramparts to observe (unable to visit it as it is a private castle).

Dampierre-en-Burly has two ponds: the Etang du Bourg to the north and the Etang du Grand Moulin to the south. In their very bucolic setting, both are popular with locals on Sunday walks.

Built in the 17th century on the base of an old fortification, the castle of Dampierre-en-Burly was completely renovated in the 19th century. Listed as historical monuments since 1928, it retains all its brilliance. However, it is not open to the public.