Bierry-les-Belles-Fontaines is a village in the Yonne, in the Burgundy-Franche-Comte region, 60 km south-east of Auxerre, on the edge of the Côte-d'Or.
Wooded in the north, dotted with many springs and streams that gave its name to the town, the territory of Bierry was first seigneury before being erected in barony in 1737. A little before that date, François- César d'Anstrude, a descendant of a Marshal of France from Scotland in the 14th century, had married the daughter of the General Counsel of the Parliament of Dijon.
Baron d'Anstrude thus gave his name to the village, where he built a castle.
The locality was renamed after the Revolution and later found its "noble" name before finally becoming Bierry-les-Belles-Fontaines at the end of the 19th century. Struck by the rural exodus (some 200 inhabitants to date against 850 in the early nineteenth), mainly focused on agriculture, the town has preserved a historic heritage of quality.
With its green environment, this is an interesting stop for anyone staying in Burgundy.
A visit to the village can be punctuated by heritage buildings testifying to the rich history of the locality. Merovingian sarcophagi were also discovered in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, some of which are still exposed to the museum Avallon.
To all lords... all honor, the castle that the Baron d'Anstrude erected from 1710 is the jewel of this ensemble.
The building and its outbuildings, as well as the entrance gate, the moat wall balustrade, the park and the terrace have been inscribed. It will be observed that access is through a spectacular monumental door, wrought iron, which is framed by two pilasters. The castle itself is composed of a main building with two round towers capped with slates, extended on each side by a lower wing. The property is private and a restoration campaign has been initiated.
For the anecdote, note that an underground allowed the Lord and his relatives to reach the parish church without having to leave...
The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, precisely, was erected in the twelfth century, then dependent on the Abbey of Moutiers-Saint-Jean. In fact, most of the original church survived, in this case the choir, the nave, the bell tower and its turret staircase. Indeed, the researchers were able to establish that the nave and the choir were remodeled superficially in a neo-Gothic style, at the end of the 19th century.
Meanwhile a chapel seigneuriale, on the right of the choir, was added in the fourteenth and eighteenth century, Baron d'Anstrude enlarged the church. At the same time, the seigniorial chapel was endowed with a stuccoed decoration. With the stained glass windows, the decorations and ornaments, the nobility of the materials (stone of size), that makes of this church, now classified, a point of major interest on the level of the inheritance. For a visit, contact the town hall by contacting +33 3 86 32 10 03.
A wash house (in a private enclosure), a public well (17th century) on the village square and a cross, all of beautiful and well preserved, are also protected as historical monuments.
Going away from the village and in the surrounding woods, at the hamlet of Souillats, to finally see, the charming little chapel dedicated to Saint Hubert, patron saint of hunters. Dating from the twelfth century, several times overhauled, it was very popular and frequented in the time of the Baron d'Anstrude. It was restored in 1956.
All of these historic sites such as the green environment of the locality (woods, springs, streams) can be included in hiking or mountain biking routes. Documentation and information on +33 3 86 72 92 00.
For fishing enthusiasts, finally, contact +33 3 86 51 03 44 to know the adapted sites and regulations.