Alise-Sainte-Reine (Alise-Ste-Reine) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Côte-d'Or Côte-d'Or (; literally, "Golden Slope") is a département in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of Northeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 534,124.department in the

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in Eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...

region of eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Alisiens'' and ''Alisiennes''.

Geography

Alise-Sainte-Reine is located some 17 km southeast of

Montbard Montbard () is a commune and subprefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne. The ''Forges de Buffon'', ironworks established by Buff ...

and 50 km northwest of

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlie ...

. The D905 from Venarey-les-Laumes to Posanges in the south passes through the western part of the commune. Access to the village however is on the D103, D103J, and D103T from Venaray-les-Laumes in the west which continues east to join the D10 road. Apart from the village the commune consists of farmland with some forest and a horse racing track in the west.Google Maps
/ref> The ''Ozeraine'' river forms most of the southern border of the commune and flows west to join the ''Brenne'' west of the commune.

Etymology

Because of its identification with Alesia the origin of the name of Alise-Sainte-Reine has been the subject of numerous studies. Several ideas have been proposed for a root of ''*alis'' and three proposals have attracted the attention of linguists and toponymists: * (

Sorbus aria ''Sorbus aria'' (syn. ''Aria nivea''), the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a deciduous tree, the type species of the subgenus ''Sorbus'' subg. ''Aria'' of the genus ''Sorbus''. It is native to most of Europe as well as North Africa (Algeria, Mo ...

) (a tree originating from Southern Europe), *rocky height,

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

, and *

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

. These points were confirmed by Jacques Lacroix in his study of the god of Alise: Alisanos. Research on ' remains largely unfinished despite numerous attempts to develop the subject. The theme of the oronyme *''alis'' or *''ales'' meaning "rocky height" is the one that is currently most frequently put forward to explain the name of Alesia. It is from an Indo-European root *''palis'' or *''pales'', the initial became silent in Celtic, while on the contrary it remains in Latin place names such as ''Palatinus'' (

Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; la, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus; it, Palatino ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city and has been called "the first nucleus of the Roman Empire." ...

) for example. In Germanic the Indo-European was mute which gives *' in lower

Old Frankish Frankish ( reconstructed endonym: *), also known as Old Franconian or Old Frankish, was the West Germanic language spoken by the Franks from the 5th to 9th century. After the Salian Franks settled in Roman Gaul, its speakers in Picardy ...

, ' in

Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old Hig ...

or the German ''Fels'' meaning "rock". A number of researchers also believe that the term may be suitable for a site in Alise-Sainte-Reine that has cliffs. The explanation of a

hydronym A hydronym (from el, ὕδρω, , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As ...

was mentioned early - in 1901

Camille Jullian Camille Jullian (15 March 1859 – 12 December 1933) was a French historian, philologist, archaeologist and historian of literature. A Professor of ancient history and classics at the University of Bordeaux from 1891, Jullian was awarded a chai ...

said that the name of ''Alise'' derived from the spring in the heart of the village and which was very famous until the early 20th century. It recurred in 1908 by breaking the radical *''Alis'' into two themes ''AL'' + ''IS''. In 1956 Paul Lebel did not resume this juxtaposition of the two hydronymic themes, he proposed instead for some rivers the prototype *''alisa'' from the post-Celtic period, which is why in the case of Alesia, he ultimately opted for the oronym. In 1990 the study of the etymology of the name of Alesia was taken over by Marianne Mulon. She wrote that the oronymic and the hydronymic tracks were both "reasonable" proposals. The same year Ernest Nègre in his ''General toponymy of France'', vol 1, explained the name of Alise-Sainte-Reine as pre-Celtic *''alis'' + Gallic Suffix ''-ia'' and he indicated that it is a derivative from a designation of a spring. In 1995 the historian Francis Lassus and linguist Gerard Taverdet annotate the study by Ernest Nègre stating that his explanation by hydronym is legitimate because of the thermal spring present at Alise. In 2007 Gerard Taverdet stated that this spring has been the subject of numerous pilgrimages while being exploited for therapy. In 2010 Stephane Gendron, another Toponymist, posed the question: is it from the root *''ales'' designating a mountain or the root *''alis'' designating the spring? He adds, however, that the village has a mineral source and a sanctuary with a Gallic bathhouse with a therapeutic function. The healing waters site were undoubtedly famous since Celtic times. In the modern era the trade in

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

from Alise went beyond the borders of Burgundy and even extended to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

which lasted until the early 20th century. The sanctuary was very large and it was dedicated to

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

Moritasgus. Jacques Lacroix said that this deity was associated with the healing waters with the first part of its name ''Mori-'' designating the sea or water as in ''are-morica'' ( Armorique) or in the maritime tribe of the

Morini The Morini (Gaulish: "sea folk, sailors") were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Morini'' by Caesar ( ...

. During the revolutionary period of the

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year Nation ...

(1792-1795), the commune bore the names of ''Alise'' and ''Petite-Alise''.

History

''Alise'' is strongly reminiscent of Alesia and it is perhaps no coincidence since the town lies at the foot of Mont Auxois and the Gallic

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...

attested by excavations and a likely archaeological site, although still contested by some, of the ancient fortress defended by

Vercingetorix Vercingetorix (; Greek: Οὐερκιγγετόριξ; – 46 BC) was a Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Despite ha ...

. *''Sainte-Reine'' is directly derived from the name of the Christian martyr Sainte Reine who was beheaded at this place in 252 AD and who is the commune's patron saint. The common symbol to represent the town is the statue of Vercingetorix erected by the orders of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...

to show the strength of

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

The identification of Alesia with Alise

The identification of Alesia with Alise is based on a now considerable amount of archaeological and historical research: *Alise is the oldest site identified with Alesia. The identification had already been made in the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

period. *The text of

Dio Cassius Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

placing Alesia in territory of the

Sequani The Sequani were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper river basin of the Arar river (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Sequanos'' by Caesar (mi ...

was written long after the siege and may be incorrect: its value as a source cannot be placed above the text of Caesar or the text of

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...

, which placed Alesia closer to Arvernes. Although the remarks of

Diodorus of Sicily Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...

on Alesia are not as late as Dion, their value should not be exaggerated and cannot fully guide a search. Didorus was concerned not only with the location of the site but also with its religious character. *The

on Mount Auxois at Alise first revealed Gallo-Roman constructions from after the battle. But its Gallic levels are now known to be contemporary with the Gallic Wars and have been so identified without any doubt. *A Gallic inscription in Latin characters from the Roman era is assuredly the name of the place: ''Alisiia'', an identification of the Gallic form of the name with the Latin form ''Alesia'', is explained by the phonology of the short vowels /e/ and /i/ in Gallic. *Excavations in the reign of

identified clear traces of Roman siege works. Long criticized, their value has been confirmed by excavations in the 1990s by a Franco-German team. The Roman temporary fortifications that were found are consistent with Caesar's text, even if they show that Caesar sometimes generalized his descriptions. Excavations demonstrated the ability of the Romans to adapt their equipment to the terrain. *Coins found in the 19th century were authenticated by recent scientific studies including those of Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Beaulieu and new discoveries made in the 1990s. The large number of Roman coins is easily explained by the presence of Caesar's legions. The great diversity of Gallic coins with significant

Arvernian The Arverni (Gaulish: *''Aruernoi'') were a Gallic people dwelling in the modern Auvergne region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were one of the most powerful tribes of ancient Gaul, contesting primacy over the region with the ...

sets including coins of

, the

Aedui The Aedui or Haedui (Gaulish: *''Aiduoi'', 'the Ardent'; grc, Aἴδουοι) were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Burgundy region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. The Aedui had an ambiguous relationship with the Roman Republic a ...

and the

, can only be explained by the presence of coalition troops. *The discovery, during recent excavations in one of the Roman camps, of a sling shot with the name of Caesar's lieutenant

Labienus Titus Labienus (c. 10017 March 45 BC) was a high-ranking military officer in the late Roman Republic. He served as tribune of the Plebs in 63 BC. Although mostly remembered as one of Julius Caesar's best lieutenants in Gaul, mentioned freq ...

, leaves no possible doubt that the fortification works are from Caesar's army and date from the

Gallic War The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homela ...

. *The series of archaeological aerial photographs taken since 1959 show evidence of continuous lines of ditches corresponding to the military investments of the siege of Alesia. Given these facts, a consensus on the location of the battle has been reached by professional historians and archaeologists in France and abroad (where the controversy was not as great). However, associations and individuals continue to put forward alternative hypotheses.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Population

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Vercingetorix Monument (1865) was commissioned by Emperor

from the sculptor

Aimé Millet Aimé Millet (September 28, 1819 – January 14, 1891) was a noted French sculptor, who was born and died in Paris. Millet was the son of miniaturist Frédéric Millet (1796–1859) and uncle to Chicago architectural decorator Julian Louis ...

and installed in 1865 on Mont Auxois.

Picture Gallery of the Vercingetorix Monument

File:Alise-Sainte-Reine_statue_Vercingetorix_par_Millet.jpg File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Statue Vercingetorix 11.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Statue Vercingetorix 32.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Statue Vercingetorix 08.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine_statue_Vercingetorix_par_Millet_large.jpg File:Vercingetorix Memorial at Alesia.jpg File:Vercingétorix Alésia.jpg File:Alise-Sainte-Reine_statue_Vercingetorix_par_Millet_2crop.jpg *The Sainte-Reine Hospital (1659).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The hospital contains a very large number of items which are registered as historical objects. *The Ancient site of Alesia (1st century). The MuséoParc Alésia (on the site of the

Battle of Alesia The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia (September 52 BC) was a military engagement in the Gallic Wars around the Gallic '' oppidum'' (fortified settlement) of Alesia in modern France, a major centre of the Mandubii tribe. It was fought b ...

) has an

and the remains of a Gallo-Roman city. On 26 March 2012 the "interpretation centre" was opened to the public and aims to attract 150,000 visitors a year.

The Gallo-Roman site

The archaeological site of Alesia was not abandoned following the siege of Alesia. Recent excavations have unearthed the ruins of buildings that reflect the

romanization Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, a ...

of the site. There is a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

to the northwest, which was a feature of Roman Gaul. It has a ''

cavea The ''cavea'' ( Latin for "enclosure") are the seating sections of Greek and Roman theatres and amphitheatres An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performanc ...

'' in the shape of a semi-circle, in which the audience sat on wooden bleachers that have disappeared over time. The actors appeared in the orchestra. The capacity of the theatre is estimated to have been 5,000 seats, which is low compared to the theatre at

Autun Autun () is a subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as Augustodunum to give a Ro ...

(20,000 seats). The circular wall of the ''cavea'' measures 81 metres. To the east of the theatre stood a

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

which was commonly used in Gallo-Roman cities for both religion and entertainment. The

cella A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extended meanings, of a hermit's or ...

of this temple stood on a

podium A podium (plural podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek ''πόδι'' (foot). In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be use ...

similar to the Maison Carree in Nimes. Modest in size, it was opened up in accordance with the requirements of worship. Its facade had four columns of which nothing remains today. Archaeologists believe that this temple, which is surrounded by a wall built in the 2nd century AD, was dedicated to

Taranis In Celtic mythology, Taranis (Proto-Celtic: *''Toranos'', earlier ''*Tonaros''; Latin: Taranus, earlier Tanarus) is the god of thunder, who was worshipped primarily in Gaul, Hispania, Britain, and Ireland, but also in the Rhineland and Danube r ...

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...

. The objects found at the site and kept at the Alesia Museum reflect the emergence of the cult of

Cybele Cybele ( ; Phrygian language, Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya/Kubeleya'' "Kubileya/Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian language, Lydian ''Kuvava''; el, Κυβέλη ''Kybele'', ''Kybebe'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother godde ...

in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Next to the temple a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

served the political and judicial functions of the city. The

Curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

and

courts A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accorda ...

held meetings in this type of building. The affairs of the city were also discussed in the public square: the forum. It was lined with shops and served as a meeting place for the city's inhabitants. There is a monument to the north of the forum that is said to be of Ucuetis, headquarters of the corporation of bronziers. It also served as a shrine to honour the gods

Bergusia Bergusia is a Celtic goddess, consort of the god Ucuetis, and worshipped with him at Alesia in Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former Regions of France, administrative region and province o ...

and

Ucuetis Ucuetis is a Gaulish deity who was venerated at Alesia in Burgundy. History Ucuetis was a Gaulish deity who was venerated by the Celtic people in the area of Alesia in the Burgundy region of France. Along with his consort Bergusia, he was portr ...

Picture Gallery of the MuséoParc Alésia

File:Muséoparc d'Alésia vue Alise Sainte Reine et fortifications.JPG, View of the fortifications File:Alesia archeodrome.jpg, Archeodrome at Alise-Sainte-Reine File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 03.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 10.jpg File:01_Alesia_site_archeologique.jpg File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 09.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 08.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 05.JPG File:Alise-Sainte-Reine - Fouilles 07.JPG File:Couple de divinités gallo-romaines.JPG, Gallo-Roman divinities File:Canthare argent MAN St Germain.jpg, Silver Drinking cup, 1st century File:Alise8.jpg, The cellar of a house File:SiegeAlesia.png, Map of fortifications built for Caesar at Alesia File:Alise10.jpg File:Alise4.jpg, Monument of Ucuetis File:Alise9.jpg File:Alise7.jpg, Ovens for bronzing

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Croix Piroir Stone Cross (16th century) *A Stone Cross and

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...

at its base (1554) *The Chapel and Fountain of Sainte-Reine (1498).Ministry of Culture, Mérimée The chapel contains a very large number of items which are registered as historical objects. ;Other religious sites of interest *The Church of Saint-Léger partly dates from as early as the 7th century. File:Alise-Sainte-Reine Saint-Leger.jpg, The church exterior File:Alise-Sainte-Reine Saint-Leger Clocher.jpg, The bell tower File:Alise-Sainte-Reine Saint-Leger interieur.jpg, The church interior *A Temple at Croix-Saint-Charles, has remains of columns, an octagonal sanctuary with its annexes and trenches indicating a surrounding wall, and unidentified quadrangular buildings.

Cultural events

*Every Saturday and Sunday in August is a representation of the Mystery of Sainte Reine, a tradition that dates back to 866.Semk, Christopher. ''Playing the Martyr: Theater and Theology in Early Modern France'', Bucknell University Press, 2017, p. 9
*The Festival of Nuits Peplum d'Alesia, a contemporary music festival in late July.

Notable people linked to the commune

* Sainte Reine (3rd century), Christian martyr *

Félix Kir Canon Félix Kir (22 January 1876 - 26 April 1968) was a French Catholic priest, resistance fighter and politician. Life He was born at Alise-Sainte-Reine on the Côte-d'Or. He entered a small seminary at Plombières-lès-Dijon in 1891 and ...

(1876-1968), a French Catholic priest, resistance fighter and politician was born in Alise-Sainte-Reine on 22 January 1876. *

Jules Toutain Jules François Toutain (20 November 1865, Vincennes – 18 January 1961, Paris) was a French archeologist. The son of the professor Henri Toutain, he studied at the Lycée Charlemagne before entering the École Normale Supérieure in 1885. A p ...

(1865-1961), director of archaeological excavations at Alésia until 1958

External links

MuseoParc Alésia''Alise-Sainte-Reine'' on the old National Geographic Institute website

Alise-Sainte-Reine on Géoportail
National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
''Alize'' and ''Ste Reyne'' on the 1750 Cassini Map
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alisesaintereine Communes of Côte-d'Or