Dijon, a city of all ages : this formula is a good illustration of the architectural diversity of a city that mazes its appearance in history at the time of the Gallo-Romans: in the 3rd century, the town is withdrawn behind its walls, a castrum with thirty-three towers, only one of which is still visible.
The town grew round this historical centre. In 1137, after a terrible fire, new fortifications were built, enclosing the castrum, the "bourgs" which had gradually been built and vast plots of unbuilt land where the monasteries could establish vast enclosures.
Widely plotted, these fortifications were sufficient for the expansion of the town until the beginning of the 19th century but the deep socio-economic transformations of the time had difficulty in adapting to this wall, considered as a hindrance. The demolished fortifications were replaced by boulevards which continue to delimit the old city centre, the 97 hectare "conservation area", rich in old houses and buildings that represents the whole of the city’s prestige.
Dijon owes this exceptional architectural heritage to two major periods: its first golden age corresponds to the reign of the Great Dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, Jean the Fearless, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold who succeeded each other between 1363 and 1477. The ducal dwelling, a simple fortress until the 11th century, became a sumptuous palace with impressive reception rooms and kitchens, the tower of which dominates the city.
Round the Palais des Ducs et des Etats and under the influence of the Dukes, noblemen and rich burghers built dwelling houses, sometimes sumptuous like the Hôtel Chambellan where the flamboyant architecture reached summits. This Mediaeval Dijon lived under religious influence, parishes and places of worship–Saint-Philibert, Notre-Dame, Saint-Bénigne, Saint-Jean, Saint-Michel – marked the urban landscape for centuries.
In 1480, the Burgundy Parliament was transferred to Dijon. This event was decisive for the city and resulted in a second golden age that was to last for three centuries. Magistrates and gens d'office built houses and mansions that were to give the town its special physiognomy. Out of the hundred or so mansions built until the French Revolution, often on the model between courtyard and garden, over half of them are listed or classified historic monuments.
A number of public, civil and religious buildings were also built at the same time as this private construction. During the 17th century, the revival of religious life due to the counter reform favoured the setting up of new religious orders: the large quadrangles of the convents strongly marked the town, fashioning a certain configuration of the urban space for centuries.
Dijon has given priority to the conservation of this many-faceted heritage. A city of stone, it is also a green city. A number of private or public gardens, most of them very old, can be found scattered all over the town. Most of them are linked with the establishment of the religious communities in Dijon from the 17th century and the building of the town mansions.
More than any other, this alliance of architecture and parks and gardens wonderfully illustrates that art of living of which Dijon, over the centuries, has made a tradition.
In this respect, the owl carved on the wall of Notre-Dame and the Gloire de Dijon rose could well be the city’s two charm ambassadors.
