From village to village: southern accents in Burgundy
The Grand Site is best explored village by village, from Charnay-lès-Mâcon to Bussières, passing through Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson, Prissé, Davayé, Leynes, Chasselas and Cenves, along the Petite Grosne river. Here, the villages and hamlets, surrounded by vast expanses of vineyards, showcase architecture typical of this part of the Mâconnais region and southern Burgundy.
The villages are remarkable both for their location and their spatial organization. They originate from Gallo-Roman villas in the narrow valley bottoms formed by rivers such as the Denante and its tributaries. They are nestled between the rocks, spread out over the slopes, or cling to the hillsides.
A typical architecture
The geography and agricultural occupation of the territory of the Grand Site have forced a very specific organization of the construction of the village centers.
The habitat is regroup in hamlets sometimes placed in the middle of a vast expanse of vines, but always in the presence of a water point. This is evidenced by the numerous wash houses.
Residential houses, mostly winegrowers, are organized on two floors around an enclosed courtyard. The ground floor is dedicated to the wine business. The first floor, which is accessed by a staircase parallel to the facade opening onto a covered gallery, houses the living area. The openings turn to the south and the facades located to the north have only a few small openings. The low-pitched roofs and round tiles, as well as the warm colors of the facades, give a spirit southern to this distinctive architecture.
Among the remarkable buildings that shape the landscape of the villages, the church of Bussières, the castle of Essartaux in Bussières and that of Chasselas, are three buildings classified as Historical Monuments.
inspiration notebooks
During the summers of 2022 and 2023, Lise Geutal and Estelle Contoux, Master's students in architecture at the National School of Architecture of Lyon , created 10 sketchbooks inspired by the architecture and landscape of the villages within the Grand Site. In these 16-page sketchbooks filled with drawings and watercolors , Lise and Estelle highlight the unique characteristics of each village, as well as the shared features that form the identity of the Grand Site.
Wandering through the narrow streets, Lise and Estelle explore the landscape and architecture through remarkable buildings, unique features, colors, and textures. Their drawings are enriched with commentary on their observations, feelings, research, and conversations with villagers. Together, the ten sketchbooks form a delightful journey from village to village , from Charnay-lès-Mâcon, passing through Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson, Prissé, Davayé, Leynes, Chasselas, and Cenves, all the way to Bussières along the Petite Grosne river.
Along the ride
The ten villages along the route share a common theme: stone in their buildings and small wine-making structures. This limestone, typical of the Mâconnais region, ranges in color from ochre to light beige and pink, sometimes complemented by plaster in the same shades. Housing, shops, and public services are densely concentrated in the village centers and hamlets. The rest of the territory is primarily covered by vineyards , hedged meadows , and forest . In most villages, houses with galleries face south. The buildings are built into the hillside. The facades are aligned with the street, and courtyards are often enclosed by high walls punctuated by carriage entrances and cart porches.
Each village also has its own identity and knows how to distinguish itself from the others. The walker discovers, for example, the opening onto the large landscape of Grand Site from the old town of Charnay-les-Macon. This municipality is characterized by its two parts. One, old, rural and facing the territory of the Grand Site, rubs shoulders with the other, more recent, urban and close to the city of Mâcon.
Continuing the walk towards Run away, religious heritage seems to impose itself in the heart of the village. At first glance, the prestige of its imposing contemporary church calls out to the walker, then the remarkable rehabilitation of the old deconsecrated church, into a shop and tasting cellar, seduces him.
A Solutre-Pouilly and Vergisson, the two unmissable rocky promontories catch the eye, visible from every alley. It clearly appears that the construction and organization of villages responds to the geographical constraints, between the steep slope of the cuesta on one side and the humid valley floor on the other.
In the heart of the village of Prized, the walker crosses the river Little Grosne, crossing it from north to south. It punctuates the urban settlements and offers numerous green spaces where it is pleasant to stroll.
A Davaye, pedestrian connections allow you to reach the different places in the village. Going up to the old town, narrow streets lead to pretty private gardens, freely accessible to the public.
Arrived at Leynes, the stones of the buildings are a little more golden. This is the approach of Beaujolais where the limestone is richer in iron oxide. Numerous works linked to the water path, notably the Arlois river, lead to an orchard that the town has managed to preserve and enhance.
The hydraulic works punctuate the walk to the village of Chasselas . A volcanic episode marks the landscape of this town with a bubble of magma on which only heather grows and gives it the name “ black rock ". The blue building stones, also visible in the neighboring village of Cenves, come from this geological phenomenon.
Cenves is the only commune in the Grand Site which is not located in Saône-et-Loire but in the Rhône. It is the commune of 47 hamlets some of which are ancient villages, organized around a church and a hydraulic system. Many characteristics link it to the nine other villages, but it has its own personality, the kind that is attributed to the villages of the Massif Central mountains.
La Petite Grosne then leads the walker to Bussieres, final stage of the walk. The village backs onto its famous hill, the Monsard, and looks south. It is full of beautiful properties with very different styles that mingle with local traditional building. Here the walls are lower, the gates are open and the gardens are visible to passers-by.
The 10 notebooks created by Lise and Estelle come in a folder with a map of the walking route. They are available at the town halls within the Grand Site area. This project is the result of a partnership between the Grand Site de France Solutré Pouilly Vergisson, the CAUE of Saône-et-Loire, and the local municipalities.