Vézelay
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Coordinates: 47°28′00″N 3°44′48″E / 47.46667°N 3.74667°E
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Commune of Vézelay |
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| Vézelay Abbey | |
| Location | |
  Vézelay
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne |
| Department | Yonne |
| Arrondissement | Avallon |
| Canton | Vézelay |
| Mayor | Simone Galtier (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 170–339 m (560–1,100 ft) (avg. 302 m/990 ft) |
| Land area1 | 21.83 km2 (8.43 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 492 (1999) |
| - Density | 23 /km² (60 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 89446/ 89450 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne département in the Bourgogne région of France.
It is principally noted for Vézelay Abbey (Basilica of St. Magdalene), sited here since the 9th century.
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[edit] History
Vézelay's hilltop location has made it an obvious site for a town since ancient times. According to legend, not long before the end of the first millennium a monk named Baudillon brought relics (bones) of Mary Magdalene to Vézelay from Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. In 1058 the Pope confirmed the genuineness of the relics, leading to an influx of pilgrims that has continued to this day. Vézelay Abbey was also a major starting point for pilgrims on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela, one of the most important of all medieval pilgrimage centres. This was crucially important in attracting pilgrims and the wealth they brought to the town.
Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade at Vézelay in 1146. In 1189, the Frankish and English factions of the Third Crusade met at Vézelay before officially departing for the Holy Land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census of 1999, the population was 492.
On 1 January 2006, the estimate was 473.
[edit] Wine
Bourgogne Vézelay is the local wine appellation. Vineyards descend to the edge of the town and produce a range of mostly white wines, based mainly on the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Melon de Bourgogne grape varieties. About half of the production is marketed through the Cave Henry co-operative.
[edit] External links
Media related to Vézelay at Wikimedia Commons- Maison du Visiteur, a prelude to visiting the basilica
- Photographs of some details in the Basilica
- History plus photo pages showing the famous Tympanum, Zodiac and Capital Sculptures of the Basilique Ste-Madeleine,Vézelay
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