Coulanges-la-Vineuse

Coulanges-la-Vineuse is situated between two valleys, on the back of a ridge that descends into the valley of the Yonne. This gives it a picturesque appearance " perched " in the middle of a circus full of props that faces the Irancy. Probably built in the second half of the 14th century, the walls were a sort of parallelogram and were dominated by eleven towers of unequal sizes.

Municipality	Coulanges-la-Vineuse
Postcode	89580
Latitude	47.6998130 (N 47° 41’ 59”)
Longitude	3.5808540 (E 3° 34’ 51”)
Altitude	From 115m to 292m
Surface area	10.59 km²
Population	814 inhabitants
Density	76 inhabitants/km²
Prefecture	Auxerre (15.2 km, 18 min)
Insee code	89118
Intercommunality	CA de l'Auxerrois
Department	Yonne
Territory	Burgundy
Region	Burgundy-Franche-Comté

Escolives-Sainte-Camille	3.3 km (5 min)
Vincelles	4.1 km (6 min)
Val-de-Mercy	4.3 km (7 min)
Vincelottes	4.8 km (7 min)
Jussy	5.7 km (10 min)
Champs-sur-Yonne	6.5 km (9 min)
Migé	6.7 km (10 min)
Gy-l'Évêque	7.4 km (7 min)
Irancy	7.5 km (11 min)
Charentenay	8.7 km (13 min)
Deux Rivières	9.3 km (10 min)
Mouffy	9.3 km (12 min)
Bazarnes	9.6 km (10 min)
Vallan	10.2 km (11 min)

The Saint-Christophe church:

Of the old church, which collapsed on September 21, 1733, only the bell tower from the end of the 14th century remains: Gothic in shape, this tower is square to the base, octagonal on the top floor in order to receive the arrow. The current church was built from 1737 to 1742. It is the work of Servandoni, a pupil of Soufflot (born in Irancy). The imposing size of the building surprises the visitor; it bears witness to the importance of the village in the 18th century. Classical, almost baroque, its volume met the requirements of the Coulangeois of the time.
Inside, the most beautiful object was undoubtedly the picture painted on wood in the 15th century representing the Annunciation. Moved several times, it was even used on its back as a blackboard at school... It is currently being restored.

It is in our interest to criss-cross the streets which never cease to appear like a labyrinth. There are everywhere the marks of the richness of history.

L'impasse Maurice recalls that this man of the same name was born in Coulanges, known in the national archives as being the Sieur de Coulanges who was bishop of Nevers and confessor of Charles VI.
Let's also mention rue d'Aguesseau, lord of Coulanges (late 17th - early 18th century) who was certainly Louis XIV's minister. D'Aguesseau was at the origin of the arrival of Couplet, geographer of Paris also immortalized, who knew how to create the first catchment of water for the supply of the agglomeration.

The Bellay fountain:

It is located at the corner of rue André Vildieu and rue Couplet. The village of Coulanges was once called Coulanges-la-sèche, because it was sorely lacking in water.
Following the great fire that devastated a large part of the village in 1676, the Chancellor of Aguesseau called on the engineer and academician of Sciences Couplet at the beginning of the 18th century to succeed in finding springs in Coulanges. It was at this time that the Grouet spring was discovered along with two others. The water supply works to the village were then quickly undertaken, then finally abandoned a few years later, once the engineer had returned to Paris. It was only in 1779 that the work was finalized thanks to Abbé Tingault, a man of science residing in Coulanges. He materialized his achievements by several water points and fountains in the village, including this one, the last architectural vestige in place. A plaque on the fountain bears the dates of its commissioning: 1779 and 1780 with mentions of the discovery of the sources.
The style of the monument is neo-classical, just like that of the Saint-Christophe church.

La Maison aux Cariatides:

In the heart of the village, at 37 rue Marcel Hugot, a Renaissance facade bears witness to the wealth of the village in the 16th century. The year of construction 1561 is preserved on the facade, in a cartouche above the two doors. The windows are richly decorated with overmantels of Hermes and caryatids. The influence of the Italian Renaissance is perceptible in these decorations and reveals a wealthy owner in the 16th century. Originally, this opulent private home extended to porch level. This is the reason why his ornamented seated dog on the cover is no longer symmetrical today with respect to the whole.
Now go through the door to discover magnificent 17th century painted ceilings. These ceilings, decorated with yellow, red and white ocher from the ocher works of Auxerre, were made by itinerant Italian artists. A similarity has been established by specialists with similar decorations of the castle of Ancy-le-Franc. Allegorical and mythological scenes alternate on the main beam. Rarer still: the portraits of the owners both represented on this beam. Edme Leclerc had this ceiling made on the occasion of his marriage to Leonarde Pilleron, a wealthy Coulangeoise, at the end of the 17th century. Recall that Edme Leclerc held the office of royal secretary for the late Queen Mother Anne of Austria. Residing in Paris for the exercise of his functions, he then came to settle in Coulanges after the death of the Queen Mother in 1666. It was at this time that he commissioned this remarkable painted ceiling. Another element revealing the close relations with the Royal Court in the 17th century: the representation of the tulip on the coatings. Note that the tulip, originally from Asia, was worth gold at the time and was considered the official flower of the Court under Louis XIV and an essential flower in the princely gardens of Europe. Through this painted ceiling, a part of Coulange's history can be deciphered. But it also bears witness to illustrious figures closely linked to the Royal Court…

The House of Joan of Arc:

Last vestige of 15th century architecture in Coulanges, this imposing building would have welcomed Joan of Arc in June 1429 during her journey to Burgundy. In 1987, a historian, M. Vachon, wrote his doctoral thesis on Joan of Arc. His historical research has enabled him to retrace his time in Coulanges. Indeed, Joan of Arc had succeeded in convincing the King of France Charles VII to go to Reims. Joining him from Gien, she passed in front of Coulanges. But the fortified city was then held by the Burgundians. Joan of Arc therefore appeared before the walls of the city to order the inhabitants to surrender to the King. What the population agreed without revolt after negotiation. The historian therefore proposed that a plaque be affixed to the facade of this building, bearing these terms: "Thursday, June 30, 1429, our city made, in the hands of Jehanne la Pucelle, its submission to the King of France."
If we carefully observe the lintel of the upper window of the ornate facade, we can decipher the remains of inscriptions in Gothic letters: "Jesus Maria Joseph Amen" on either side of a coat of arms log. And it is precisely this motto that was read on the oriflamme of Joan of Arc.
The architecture of the facade still bears witness to a Renaissance style at the crossroads of the 15th and 16th centuries: remains of mullioned windows, jambs and sculpted overmantels without ornamentation. The corbelled stairwell protects an interior circular stone staircase. The corbels arranged horizontally on the façade supported awnings which provided shade and protection for the ground floor. This building was listed as a Historic Monument in 1929. Private property bought by individuals since the beginning of 2021.

The Vine and Wine Museum:

The Vine Museum currently offers its collections on two large rooms and a cellar. It was laid out in the 1990s by several enthusiasts of the town, Gérard Petit, Patrice Ladurelle and Jacques Robert, who assembled collections from the Coulangeois heritage and numerous donations.
The first room presents an interesting collection of tools, machines and objects, all related to the practice of viticulture: presses, models, grafters, stencils for marking barrels, plows, saws, gouges, scales... This room is associated with the theme of that of the press building, on the other side of the street.
The second room offers a discovery of traditional rural life: around the wooden bandstand from the beginning of the 20th century, partly restored in the center of the room, several collections of different themes have been arranged. Reconstruction of a classroom, collection of some of the instruments of the municipal brass band, mid-19th century fire engine, old dial and clock system from the church deposited here, layout of a former grocery store, agricultural tools…
Since the beginning of 2021, all of these collections have been the subject of a comprehensive museographic redevelopment programme. The municipality wishes to propose in a few years renovated buildings, in which the traditional collections will be valued and highlighted in an innovative framework, adapted to a contemporary museography.
Beneath the two large rooms, the 12th century vault offers a large room of approximately 80 m² whose semicircular vaults and Romanesque columns allow us to date the whole. The cellar is open to underground galleries allowing you to travel as far as rue Vildieu. An illustration of the underground network in place in Coulanges since the Middle Ages.

The Old Pressoir museum:

Rare vestige of this type in Europe. Equipped with 10 m long beams, it has an exceptional anchor well, and a double cleat wheel system installed during the First World War. Its dimensions rank it among the largest still existing in Europe. The press is located rue André Vildieu, in the barn opposite the wine museum. Dating from the second half of the 18th century, this remarkable monument is one of the few so-called slaughter presses still in place and open to visitors. In the region, it can be compared to that of Champvallon and Clos-Vougeot.
With a medieval construction inspired by German techniques, this huge press equipped with 4 Saint-Fargeau oak beams 10 m long was used until 1921. These beams, as its name suggests, come to fall on the central hall of 15 m² to crush the grapes. At each pressing session, the equivalent of one ton of grapes was piled up and then crushed for a result of 750 to 800 liters of juice. This juice was collected in a limestone tank, also kept as is.
Another exceptional feature for this press: the well for anchoring the taissons. It is a 4.5 m deep well which accommodates the beam which holds the foot of the screw. This open well avoids any form of moisture on the inverted frame. The auger supports a lug wheel with a diameter of approximately 5 m. This wheel was manipulated by the workers and made it possible to operate the huge flap of the press. To date, the anchor shaft system is still in good condition and shows no signs of dampness. This ingenious technique is one of the few vestiges of this type in Europe.
Another exemplary particularity of the press: a second wheel, smaller, on the left. It was installed during the First World War in order to be able to multiply the forces and be handled by only one or two people, due to the shortage of manpower. This second wheel was connected to the first by a rope system. The men had gone to war, so the women could take on even the most physical tasks. This press is therefore the testimony of the local human history of the beginning of the 20th century. It bears witness to the big and the small story at the same time. Its unique characteristics and techniques make this press an industrial wine monument almost unique in Europe to this day.
The press and the building were listed as Historic Monuments in 2002.

Exhibitions and Tourist Office at the Maison du Pays Coulangeois.

Saint Vincent (wine festival) the last Saturday of January.
Gourmet walk by the Wine Syndicate of Coulanges la Vineuse. Every May, festive and gastronomic hike in the heart of the vineyard and the cherry orchard.
Garage sales on the first Sunday of September.

Soirée Concerts au Domaine du Clos du Roi

On 11 may 2024
17, rue André Vildieu, Cour du domaine du Clos du Roi, entrée rue joyeuse ou rue André Vildieu
Magali Bernard offers you a festive and gourmet discovery day ! On the programme this 29th April from 10am : tasting, visits, crafts, food on the spot over a wood fire (tartines) and in the evening : 2 concerts ! Kim Logan the American and The Steam the Greeks promise you a very rock'n wine evening ! Information 0386422572

Marche Gourmande du Vignoble Coulangeois

On 2 june 2024
Village
The Vignoble Coulangeois Gourmet Walk is a 15 km walk combining the discovery of Burgundian dishes with the tasting of Burgundy wines from Coulanges-la-Vineuse. The walk offers a wide public the chance to hike through the Coulangeois vineyards, passing by 5 open-air food stands selling local produce and wine tastings provided by participating winegrowers from the appellation. The menu will be prepared by a caterer and will include an aperitif, starter, main course and dessert. A local cheese maker will also be on hand with her products. Departures will be every 10 minutes. The gourmet walk is not a race, so everyone will be able to discover the countryside and nature at their own pace, and take advantage of the stops to eat, taste and discover the picturesque villages of Burgundy. Along the way, there will be music groups and singers to liven up the day, and you'll meet grapes in the flesh… You'll need hiking boots or trainers, and clothing suited to the weather. - The choice is yours, with friends or family, taking into account everyone's physical abilities. The region is hilly, so come and enjoy the day ! You'll need to be in a good mood, and there's plenty of fun to be had too !

Green tourism: hiking, Nivernais canal with its cycle route, fishing, cherry picking...
Gastronomic tourism: winegrowers, restaurants and producers.
Tourism and heritage: mill, archaeological site, wash houses.

Last name	Activity type	Rate	City
Le Ranch des Coyotes / shooting forest	Entertainment	8 €	Chamoux (28 km)
Canoeing on the Yonne	Sports sensations	10 €	Joigny (35 km)

Last name	Outing type	Difficulty	Duration	Departure municipality
Chablais Path	Hike	Easy	2:00	Courgis (15.5 km)
Municipality of Lindry	Hike	Easy	2:30	Lindry (16.5 km)
Toucy, a city in the countryside	Hike	Easy	20 min	Toucy (22 km)
Discovering Vézelay	Hike	Intermediate	1:10	Vézelay (29 km)
The ramparts of Vézelay walk (30 minutes)	Hike	Easy	50 min	Vézelay (29 km)

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Coulanges-la-Vineuse

Coulanges-la-Vineuse

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Yonne

Geographical information

Nearest cities & towns

Things to see and do

Events and festivities

Photos

Weather

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Leisure activities

Outings

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Related articlesCoulanges-la-Vineuse

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Coulanges-la-Vineuse