History Guide 2019 The South Nivernais Pocket Guide www.sud-nivernais.fr The South Nivernais Pocket Guide Summary Decize Historic Tour p. 3 - 8 Nature trail “Vieille Loire” p. 9 Map Historic Tour p. 10-11 Musée de la Mine p. 12-13 PARIS And the Puits des Glénons La Machine p. 14-15 La Nièvre La Bourgogne Circuit n°1 “The Town” La Machine p. 16-17 Decize Circuit n°2 “The Miners Houses” History of our Villages p. 18-28 Tours of Decize p. 29-32 Tour of La Machine p. 33 Nearby Visits p. 34 Le Greffier Barbicho Markets and Fairs This is a youngster, half cat/half Monday: Lucenay les Aix, Fair every 2nd fish that lives in the Sud Nivernais Monday of the month (morning) notably on the island of Decize. Tuesday: Decize, Fair every 3rd Tuesday This endearing little character is the of the month (morning), Place du Champ emblem of our area... de Foire. Find out more about him Thursday: Imphy, Weekly Market with key-rings, mugs, (morning) and Fair (morning) every 3rd postcards... all on sale Thursday of the month at the Port of Decize. Friday: Decize, Weekly Market (morning), in the town centre. Farmers Market from April 5 to October 25 (16.00 - 19.00), at the Port de la Jonction. L’HISTOIRE DESGREFFIERS BARBICHOS Saturday: La Machine, Weekly Market (morning), Avenue de la République. Sunday: Decize, Craft Market (dates and EN VENTE place to be confirmed). ICI Éditions du Sud-Nivernais Réalisation : Agence Dédicaces plurielles - Illustrations : Mélissande Herdier exe_Aff_40 x 60.indd 1 20/10/2014 17:48 Decize Historic Tour Start : Tourist Office, Place du Champ de Foire Project Finish: Place Saint-Just sponsored by Difficulty: none - Time: 1h30 on foot the Bourgogne Franche Comté When you come out of the Tourist Office Region follow the arrows This walk helps you discover the main landmarks of the town while walking around the streets of Decize. The ruins of the castle and the underground galleries, the church crypt, and the Olga Olby room are only open to the public during guided tours organised in July and August (more information on page 30). > When you come out of the Tourist Office, you will see the the Promenade des Halles on your right Promenade des Halles 1 This alley of plane trees and lime trees (unique in Europe), was planted from 1771. It covers a length of 985 metres. The site was included in the inventory of the Monuments Histo- riques in 1932. The word «Halles» should be un- derstood here as in the old French meaning, which is of burnt or tanned land, parched, burnt by the sun. The name Promenade des Halles is self-explanatory: it’s the Promenade of sunburnt earth. > Turn onto La Rue des Fossés across the car park and take the passageweay between the two banks. 3 Decize Ravelin and Échauguette de > Cross the Place du Général de Gaulle (by going up the stairs la Croix Voisin 2 3 next to Les Tours), take the Fortifications built at the end of the Rue Maréchal Foch to the first 16th century, crowned with a turret crossroads and turn right into the that served as a watchtower. Rue du Marquis d’Ancre. > Continue along by the car parks Porte du Marquis d’Ancre 5 to join Les Tours. The last massive gate with drawbridge of the fortified compound of Decize. Les Tours 4 This was the entry into the town. They are located along old ditches fed Built by Pierre de Courtenay, then by the Loire, which have been filled in modified in 1468. over the years. These are the last ves- tiges of the compound of Decize that was built in 1194 by Pierre de Courte- nay, the Count of Nevers. 4 Decize > Walk along the Rue du Marquis > When you come out of the church, d’Ancre and then, on the right, take the path and walk around take the Rue Jean Jacques the church, and come out at the Rousseau. Here you will find the Place Guy Coquille (the Town Hall church of Saint-Aré. square). On this square you will see a tower. Church of Saint-Aré and its crypt 6 Tour de l’Horloge or Tour Guy Coquille 7 The parish church dedicated to Saint- Aré, Bishop of Nevers (548-558), who, when he died, wished that his body be placed in a boat and buried wherever it stopped. According to legend, the boat went up the river as far as Decize, where the saint was buried. The church dates from the 11th century and it was altered in the 17th and 19th centuries. The only part remaining of the Romanesque building is the choir where the crypt was built in the 7th century in honour of Saint-Aré. The tower was built in 1848. It is 33 metres high, has 3 bells of which the biggest was cast in 1622 and weighs about 1,300 kg. The statue of Guy Coquille (1523-1603) can be seen in an alcove of the tower. He was a lawyer, advisor to the Dukes of Nevers and Attorney General of the Nièvre. 5 Decize > Go down the Rue de la République, then turn right (staircase), and go up the Rue Marguerite Monnot. On your left you will see the former Couvent des Minimes. Ancien Couvent des Minimes - Olga Olby room 8 The Prieuré Saint-Pierre, built by the The buildings around the cloister are Benedictine monks of the Abbey now home to the “Pierre Lôo” day- of Saint Germain d’Auxerre in 1026 care hospital. The cloister is closed to stood on this site where this ancient the public except on Heritage Days. church (currently the Olga Olby room) and the neighbouring buildings now The old church which now serves as stand. The Priory went into decline an exhibition room and also for hos- at the end of the 15th century, and ting concerts, is named after Olga was transferred in 1621 to the Minim Olby (1900-1990), a Russian painter, fathers. who donated her work to the town of Decize. In 1629, the Minims altered the buil- dings and the cloister to the form they are in now and added the stone walls. 6 Decize > Continue your walk along the > Go down the Rue du Grenier à Sel, same street to find the house then the Rue Saint-Just to arrive where Marguerite Monnot was at the square of the same name. born. Place Saint-Just (1767-1794) 10 Birthplace of Marguerite Monnot 9 This square is named after Louis- Antoine de Saint-Just. Born in She was born in Decize on 28 May, Decize on 25 August 1767, he lived 1903. Early on, she proved to be an in the Nièvre during the first eight excellent musician. A precocious years of his life. He was elected as a pianist and violinist, she was already Député for Soissons in 1792, and he composing at the age of five. had a meteoric political career. He become one of the most influential Destined for classical music by her members of the Committee of Public parents, she turned to variety, songs, Safety, Saint-Just was responsible film music, and musicals. Marguerite for reorganizing the armed forces Monnot wrote the music of around 50 of the North and East. Responsible songs for Edith Piaf, including: MiLord, for the Reign of Terror, he followed the Hymn to Love, My Legionnaire. Robespierre, Lebas and Couthon to the scaffold on 10 thermidor year II (28 July 1794). His bust, sculpted by Pierre Peignot, was placed on the façade of a house in the square that bears his name. 7 Decize > Facing the Place Saint-Just, For nearly two centuries, the old spanning the backwater of the stone bridge was in a very bad state Loire (the Vieille Loire), is the and several arches were replaced by bridge of the Vieille Loire. wooden walkways. Pont du Vieille Loire 11 This arm of the Loire which was used for navigation and the Ports of Decize The first stone of the Pont du Vieille were on the bank of Saint-Privé and Loire was laid on 7 October 1775, along the Champ de Foire. in the presence of the Intendant du Bourbonnais. It has eleven arches and In 1844, to ensure the passage at all the abutments have enabled quays times of barges on the Canal du Ni- and waterways on both sides. vernais to the Canal Latéral à la Loire, the company Ponts et Chaussées built The arm of the Loire that crosses un- a 200 metre long dam or submersible der this bridge is very narrow and only barrage at the tip of the island, on the flows intermittently. It is called the side of La Saulaie, to push the water Vieille Loire. This has not always been to the left over time. the case. From that moment on, the right arm was allowed to silt up. 8 Decize - Nature trail “Vieille Loire”There are also quizzes and mini-ga mes to test the knowledge of the Start : Quai de l’Office de Tourisme walkers. Place du Champ de Foire 300 metres (one way) Tucked away in the Pointe des Halles, this walk, which runs along the Vieille Loire has twenty educational panels. Arranged along the trail, they enable children and adults to discover the ecosystem of the Loire Valley, as well as the cultural and natural history of the South-Nivernais area. des berges Nettoyage S.8 188 .83 des berges Nettoyage Sentier d’interprétation pylone 9 6 .