MUSÉE - ABBAYE SAINT-GERMAIN

Along with the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne, this is the other great jewel of Auxerre's heritage. A marvel whose origins date back to the^5th century, when the remains of Bishop Saint Germain (who died in Ravenna in 448) were brought back to his diocese of Auxerre. Legend has it that, with his passing, nature blossomed anew. In the ^6th century, Queen Clotilde (Clovis' wife) had a basilica built on the oratory where the saint was buried. Enlarged in the ^9th century, the former Carolingian and Romanesque abbey was partly rebuilt between the ^13th and ^15th centuries. Don't leave without visiting the impressive crypt: built from 841 onwards, it housed the tomb of Saint Germain and today houses the oldest Carolingian wall paintings in France. A must-see!

The museum is also a must-see. On three levels, it presents exceptional evidence of the town's and region's past, from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages - and not only, as temporary exhibitions are also on offer (including, for several years now, prestigious collaborations with the Centre Pompidou).

What's more, the abbey is currently undergoing a profound transformation. While it hosts concerts, exhibitions, festivals, events and conferences throughout the year, major renovation work is underway. Since autumn 2024, the superb Moorish cloister has seen the end of its work, preceding that on the roof of the abbey church. Above all, the municipality and the département intend to make Saint-Germain Abbey a major cultural and economic hub for the region. A tourist "locomotive" of sorts. Recently, the abbey has become the "Cité de la parole et du son" (City of speech and sound), a project which aims to turn it into a place for meetings, research, creative workshops for the general public and - eventually - artistic residencies. But this is only the first step. Over the next few years, the abbey will be extended to include the adjacent Lycée Saint-Germain. The local authority's objective? To turn this eminently cultural site into a vast hybrid space that will also house a seminar and conference center, as well as accommodation and catering facilities. For the renovation of the abbey itself, a fund-raising campaign (in collaboration with the Fondation du Patrimoine) has been launched for 2024.