Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Vergisson rock is a steep limestone escarpment located in the south of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, in the commune of Vergisson (Saône-et-Loire). Culmining at 483 meters, it is less than two kilometers from the Solutré rock, with which it shares a common geological history: a coral mass formed at the Secondary, followed by an uprising and a switch to the East at the Tertiary, then shaped by erosion. Today, its calcicultural cliffs and lawns are home to protected biodiversity, particularly in the context of Natura 2000.

During the Prehistory, the site was frequented by Neanderthal groups, as evidenced by the bones found there. These archaeological traces highlight its ancient occupation, well before its modern classification. In contemporary times, the rock inspired literary figures like Alphonse de Lamartine, who saw, with Solutré, "two petrified ships overlooking a sea of vineyards". It is also marked by a political episode: on 7 June 1992, President François Mitterrand made an improvised ascent to escape demonstrators.

Today, Vergisson's rock is an emblematic place for local viticulture, with terraced vineyards (puilly-fly, saint-veran, mâcon) bounded by dry stone walls called murgers. Classified since 1955 with Solutré and Mont Pouilly as a "natural and rural site", it is part of the Grand Site de France Solutré Pouilly Vergisson. Its cliffs, among the largest in Saône-et-Loire with 122 climbing routes, also attract athletes, while the hike of the two Rocks connects the two peaks annually.

External links