BELLEVILLE-EN-BEAUJOLAIS
Stage town for the first time Commune du Rhône.
Population: 13,340.
Personalities: César Roux (industrialist), Philippe Gardent (handball), Franck Durix (football), Gabriel Voisin (aviation pioneer), Philibert Claitte (suclpteur)
Specialities: Beaujolais wines (beaujolais, beaujolais-villages, brouilly, chénas, chiroubles, côtes-de-brouilly, fleurie, juliénas, morgon, moulin-à-vent, régnié, saint-amour)
Sports: BC Belleville (basketball), RCBB (rugby), Beaujolais Val de Saône Handball, Triton Club de Belleville (swimming).
Events: stages of Paris-Nice.
Economy: wine growing. Parquetry and cooperage (C. Roux et fils). Tourism.
Culture and festivals: Dezing Festival (music, street arts, gastronomy, August). Festival Je Joue en Beaujolais (October). Fête des Conscrits (February). Nect'Art Nouveau (November). Wise Festival.
Labels: Active and sporty city. Land of the Games 2024.
Websites: http://www.mairie-belleville.fr/ / http://www.ccsb-saonebeaujolais.fr/ / https://www.destination-beaujolais.com/ / https://www.rhone.fr/
BELLEVILLE-EN-BEAUJOLAIS AND CYCLING
In the heart of the Beaujolais region, Belleville has not yet hosted the Tour de France, but is known to riders thanks to the Critérium du Dauphiné (Pascal Ackermann's victory in 2018) and above all Paris-Nice, which stopped here five times between 2000 and 2011. If the first four finishes of the Race to the sun in town were won by a sprinter (Fabio Baldato in 2000, Robbie McEwen in 2002, Tom Boonen in 2006, Gert Steegmans in 2008), it was Thomas Voeckler who won in 2011. This is obviously not the first stop of the Tour in the Beaujolais since the race has already visited Régnié-Durette (2002), while an individual time trial in 1984 between Villié-Morgon and Villefrance-en-Beaujolais had allowed Laurent Fignon to establish his superiority.
SIGHTS
Abbatial of the Assumption
Construction: late 12th century.
Style: Romanesque.
History: a major witness to Romanesque art in the region, its construction began in 1168 by Humbert III, Sire of Beaujeu and was completed in 1179. It is the heart of an abbey of the Saint-Augustin order, destroyed during the French Revolution. The dimensions of the building are remarkable: 63-m long and 28-m wide at transept level. Its exterior architecture is very homogeneous in the Romanesque style. The interior is also in pure Romanesque style, although with some 14th century elements in the choir. Inside the building, there are still paintings in medieval styles and colours (ceilings, walls, columns) dating from the last major restoration in the 19th century. In 2004, the choir was refurbished and various pieces of furniture (eucharistic column, cross, altar) were created by artist Goudji, who combined stone and metal. At the same time, cabinetmaker Jacques Brac de La Perrière provided the church with stalls.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1862.
Hôtel-Dieu
Construction: 18th and 19th century.
History: the first premises were inaugurated in 1733 (patients' room, hallway, refectory, etc.). The apothecary was built in 1749. In 1826, construction of the second sick room and the sick chapel. In 1850, the third ward was built. In 1851, the sisters' chapel. The hospital functioned as a hospice until 1991.
Current use: the building currently houses the tourist office, the municipal media library and a museum.
Listed as: Historical Monument since 1994.
Roux factory
Construction: 19th and 20th centuries.
Characteristics: the César Roux et fils establishments, known as the Roux factory, founded in 1848, are a parquet and cooperage factory located in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The Roux factory is an exceptional heritage site presenting the history of one of the largest industrial companies in the region between the 19th and 20th centuries. The Roux factory was one of the largest employers in the town, employing over 100 people until 1992, when it closed.
Current use: the commune of Bellevillle bought the cooperage buildings in 2015 to create a museum.
Mount Brouilly
The Mont Brouilly hill and its chapel offer everyone a break on the Beaujolais Wine Route to enjoy a unique panorama. With its vine-covered slopes, the Mont is also distinguished by the particularity of its soil composed of blue rock of volcanic origin. It is this particularity that gives the exceptional terroir of the Brouilly and Côte-de-Brouilly appellation wines.
TO DRINK
House of Beaujolais
The Maison des Beaujolais offers an interesting starting point for a discovery of the vineyard. Inaugurated in 1952, a real novelty at a time when places of this type were rare, it is located along the national road which, until the opening of the motorway, saw sun lovers and Mediterranean mildness passing by. It gives the visitor a complete overview of all the Beaujolais appellations and guides him in his purchases.
