Noyers, Yonne
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Noyers (; often referred to as ''Noyers-sur-Serein'') is a commune in the
Yonne Yonne (, in Burgundian: ''Ghienne'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight con ...
department in
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 ...
in north-central
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. It is a member of
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (, ) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of 2024, it numbers 176 member villages (independent Communes of France, ''communes'' or part ...
(The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. There are half-timbered houses, ashlars, pillars and pinnacles. There are many cobbled lanes and small squares made of chalky and granitic pavements. There are towers surrounded by the river
Serein The Serein () is a river of eastern France. It is the main waterway of the Chablis wine district in Burgundy. It is long. The Serein is not navigable. Origin of the name ''Serein'' is the French word for "serene". This may reflect the placid n ...
loops. It has retained much of its medieval appearance with many buildings dating from the 16th century, and is a tourist destination with several restaurants, art galleries, a pottery and a museum. The centre is pedestrianised on Saturdays and Sundays in summer. The village also holds two large truffle fairs in November where locally picked fresh truffles are sold to buyers from throughout France and beyond.


History

The origins of Noyers are unclear. It was founded by the king of
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 (mid-1 ...
Gaul tribe, just before the Roman conquest, or by a contemporary of Julius Caesar called Lucidorius. He would have given the city its first name, Lucida. Around and after the 12th century the city became the seat of the Miles family. At the end of the twelfth century, Hugues de Noyers, bishop of
Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
, built "one of the most famous castles of France". It was beleaguered by Blanche of Navarre's troops in 1217, but it did resist. In 1419, at the end of the Miles dynasty, Noyers became the property of the dukes of Burgundy. The
prince of Condé A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The f ...
became count of Noyers. He made a Huguenot place of the city and took refuge in it after the defeat of the Amboise conspiracy in 1568. But
Catherine de Médicis Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II. She was the mother of French kings Franci ...
dislodged him and the garrison surrendered. Later the castle was dismantled by King Henry IV in 1599. After a long time of lethargy the city revived in 1710 when the
duke of Luynes The Duke of Luynes ( ) is a territorial name belonging to the noble France, French house d'Albert. Luynes, Indre-et-Loire, Luynes is, today, a commune in France, commune of the Indre-et-Loire ''département in France, département'' in France. The ...
married the last descendant of the Condé family. Wine and
grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals such as wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other food grains. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other agri ...
were prosperous at Noyers. Many documents attest there were plenty of vines, walnut-trees and cherry-trees over the hills all around Noyers. Till the beginning of the twentieth century a great part of local craftsmen was represented by cartwrights, harness-makers, coopers, farriers and shoe makers. In 1861 there were 128 vine-growers and 25 tillage-farmers. As of the 21st century, they are not as many farmers. On December 7, 1983,
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
filmed the music video for their single New Moon On Monday within the city walls after dark. The town's historic streets have also been featured in several other films and TV series.


Twin towns

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Noceto Noceto (Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about west of Parma. The municipality of Noceto contains the ''frazioni'' (subdivisions, ...
, Italy


See also

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Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French ...


References


External links


Official website
Communes of Yonne Plus Beaux Villages de France Sequani {{Avallon-geo-stub