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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Vézelay enclosure, built mainly in the 12th and 14th centuries, is an urban fortification linked to the local abbey, located in a border region. Its role was to protect the inhabitants and the independence of the abbey, especially in the face of external threats. The first phase of construction, around 1150, includes the Saint Croix Gate, designed to facilitate access to the Abbey. These ramparts fit the contours of the hill, with walls of 2 meters thick and 10 meters high, extending over 1.9 km.

In the 14th century, a major reconstruction of the fortifications took place, especially in the 1360s, with the addition of five towers still visible today. The New Gate, built at the end of the 15th century, is reinforced by two round towers of 12 meters in diameter and harrows. Unlike classical medieval fortifications, the walls of Vézelay did not have deep foundations, but a simple round path bordered by a parapet. A local bourgeois, Étienne Anscelin (called Borbolin), supervised the works, cleared the walls of adjacent houses and erected towers at the corners.

Two doors mark the history of the enclosure: the Saint Croix Gate (XII century), partially destroyed in 1814, and the New Gate (XV century), surrounded by 3 metres thick walls. An access window, protected by slots and a screw staircase, complemented the defensive system. After 1723, the city lost its stronghold role, resulting in partial dismantling as early as 1730. The ramparts are now protected as historical monuments, with rankings in 1875, 1995 and 1998.

The enclosure illustrates the evolution of medieval urban fortifications, from symbolic protection in the 12th century to a more elaborate system in the 14th and 15th centuries. Its layout follows the natural curves of the hill, with ancient parts to the east, at the junction of the enclosures of the abbey and the village. The preserved elements (tours, doors, courtine walls) demonstrate its strategic importance and its adaptation to changing defensive needs.

The legal protection of the enclosure covers several elements: the ruins of the ramparts and the New Gate (classified in 1875), specific parcels (registered in 1995), and other sections of walls (classified in 1998). These measures reflect the heritage value of the site, both for its military architecture and its link to Vézelay's religious and urban history. Today, the enclosure remains a tangible testimony of the medieval past of Burgundy-Franche-Comté.

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