We took a day trip to three area towns today, which all have Roman roots and medieval remnants.
The morning started in Chalon-sur-Saône, which has the distinction of being the birthplace of Nicéphore Niépce, born in 1765. He was a French inventor, now usually credited as the inventor of photography. We owe him a lot! He developed heliography, a technique he used to create the world’s oldest surviving product of a photographic process: a print made from a photoengraved printing plate in 1825. In 1826 , he used a primitive camera to produce the oldest surviving photograph of a real-world scene. Among Niépce’s other inventions was the Pyréolophore, the world’s first internal combustion engine. How embarrassing to have never heard of him – and his name is one you would tend to remember. So all hail Nicéphore! We bow to your genius.
Nicéphore Niépce lived in a lovely town, which was definitely worth exploring.
We met a lovely lady at the butcher shop, who was happy to talk in great detail about the wonders of Bresse chicken, celebrated throughout this region. So good that we were able to have tasted one in a restaurant, because I sure wouldn’t want to have one of these in my kitchen. FYI, they weigh about 4 pounds and cost about $30.
Then, it was on to the town of Tournus, an equally old and charming place. Of special note were the mosaics just recently discovered in the 11th century church of Saint Philibert, once a Benedictine abbey. What remains are some of the signs of the zodiac, including mine, which made it worthy of mention! Stunning discovery.
Another notable sight in this pretty place was the pump from medieval times, connected to Roman cisterns. Lots of charm in this place.
Our final stop of the day was in the village of Louhans. This is a 5th century town with an impressive cathedral and long covered arcades down the main street.
All in all, three charming towns in lovely Burgundy, with no wine involved to prejudice our view.