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Dijon and its history

The old town of Dijon resembles a medieval cobweb. Wealthy families used to live I n the splendid residences, parliamentary presidents and religious dignitaries remind us that Dijon once lay at the heart of a proud and fierce Empire. On a bright summer morning, as the shouts of the market traders echo down the alleys, it is easy to imagine that a glorious past lurks in practically every corner of this ancient town.
In the third century of the modern era, Dijon was established in an exceptional environment of parks and gardens, just off the Via Agrippa and along the Amber and Tin Road. At the heart of Dijon lies the semi-circular Place de la Liberation, a vast open space, surrounded by columns in classical style which date from the end of the 17th century. It was the work of Jules Hardouin Mansart, the architect of Versailles. This brilliant court architect would probably turn in his grave if he knew that his grand square was being used as a car park.
On the other side of the rue de la Liberté is the huge PALAIS DES DUCS ET ETATS DE BOURGOGNE with its broad façade and two wings overlooking the Cour d’Honneur courtyard. A Roman castle originally occupied this site, but between 1450 and 1455 the plain TOUR PHILIPPE LE BON was built on its foundations. The view from the top (50 meters) extends among the rooftops of the old town and it is easy to see why Dijon is sometimes called: “city of a hundred bell-towers”
Vestiges of this first chapter in the town's history can be seen in the Archaeological Museum and in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Vesvrotte. The mediaeval town, which grew up around the 3rd century military settlement, all but vanished in the fire of 1137.
With the spread of Christianity came the creation of Saint-Etienne, the Franciscan friars and above all the impressive ensemble of Saint-Bénigne whose church, with its three-storey rotunda, is a gem of Lombard architecture and the work of the Piedmont master Gugliemo da Volpiano. The bewildering diversity of half-timbered houses which visitors find so delightful developed between the middle years of the 12th century and the end of the 15th century. With the dead in 1477 of the last duke, Charles the bold, not only did the Burgundian Empire come to an end, but Dijon also lost its fame and influence as a cultural center. Not until the 18th century did the town’s star begin to wax again. Dijon became the resident for a bishop and then the nobility and wealthy citizens chose to build marvelous palaces for themselves there. Many of these buildings remain and their dignified facades overlook the squares and streets in the heart of the city.
In the 19th century Dijon grew into an important commercial base through its strategically important location at the hub of waterways and then railways.
The 20th century was marked among other things by the construction of churches in Dijon and its vicinity, and by an auditorium testifying to the cultural vibrancy of a town attracting almost 25,000 students each year.