Provincial without complexes

Curious fact: the name of the Dijona of the Eiffel is the famous symbol of Paris, however, in his hometown about an outstanding countryman almost nothing reminds. The embankment, called in his honor, during his lifetime, Dijonians, perturbed by the fact that the Eifel turned out to be involved in the famous corruption scandal associated with the construction of the Panama Canal, renamed. The bridge of his name blew up the Germans during the retreat in 1944. And the house where the Great Engineer was born, demolished in 1969. True, in the same year in his honor called the city technical school.

Great Dijon past encrypted in the city landscape. Narrow, poorly lit streets, half-timbered houses, which are a lot in France, but it is worth looking upstairs, as you will see absolutely "Nephrantsovsky" Roofs with multicolored tile (it seems, if you bite off a piece of such a tile, it will be sweet, like a gingerbread). They resembled, rather, Holland, Flanders … And at the same time – and the fact that once these territories were included in the Duchy of Burgundy.

As in any provincial town, passersby will be benevolent and talkative, always ready to learn about the mayor and spend you to the former Palace of the Dukes of the Burgundy. From a walk through the palace museum and should begin to get acquainted with the city and his story.

Palace secrets

The first castle was built on this place even when capeting (XI – the beginning of the XIV century) – with them Dijon from an unsuccessful town began to gradually turn into an important regional center. However, the city’s real flowering occurred in the XIV-XV centuries, during the century of the Board of the Burgundy Dukes from the house of Valua (later the same dynasty was occupied by the Community Preclosion).

In 1356, the younger son of the king of France, John Good, the only one of all sons did not throw the father in the battle of Poitiers. Returning in 1360 from the English captivity, he received a reward from the grateful father of Duchy Burgundy. Philip bold (1342-1404), as the duke began to be called after the heroic act, married Margarita Flemish, noticeably expanding his possessions due to her fertile lands. He built on the site of the old castle a new residence, from which today has been preserved only "Bar Tower", named so century later in honor of her most famous prisoner. (Brilliant Rene Anzhuy, Duke of Barsky and Larring, Nedian Louis Xi, got here after defeat in the battle of Boulevil 1431, where Count Antoine de Valem, Vassal Duke of Burgundy broke it.)

It was with Valua Burgundy yard became truly luxurious. With them – what is important for the modern Dijon tradition! – Local original kitchen took shape. Although the main center of winemaking was already considered the neighborhood of another Burgundy town – Bon, local wine was necessarily attended by the Duccian table. Already then began to enjoy success and the famous Dijon mustard to this day. She was served for meat dishes, and also certainly gave the ambassadors of foreign powers and departing guests – as a medicine, she could come in handy on the road, where there is always a risk.

What was the usual feast at the court of Valua, you can guess for the preserved kitchen premises of the XV century. Their sizes are shocked: nine arches support the arch, in the middle of which the hole of the venti. Nine huge fireplaces-fryan say not only about the gathering of the duke, but also about the appetite of his guests. In each fireplace, it was possible to roast a cabana carcass or even a whole deer! Today, photo exhibitions are arranged in this kitchen and conducts various events of the mayor of Dijon. Against the background of these modest buffets, medieval meals in the same building are represented by Lukulla Pea ..

Another attraction of the palace remains a fireplace hall – here the duke took ambassadors and considered complaints of subjects. Now in the room where there was no passion in the vice of etiquette, – complete silence, and a middle-aged man near a huge Gothic fireplace – a museum boredom smorhes even a caretaker’s usual.

In the very center of the hall, sarcophages were established with the figures of the two Dukes of Burgundy – Philip of bold and John Feafless – with spouses. The tombs moved to the museum back in 1827 from the family tomb in the Shanmol abbey (during his reign, the duke could spend in Dijon not so much time, but they appeared and found the last shelter they were here). Sarcophages are empty – the remains of the sovereigns are now transferred to the city cathedral.

So, in fact, an empty tombs – everything that remains in the palace from the son of Philip, John Feafless (1371-1419). And it is even symbolic: Dreaming about the seizure of Paris, he spent most of the time on the battlefield and little cared for the improvement of native Dijon.

On the contrary, his heir Filipp is good (1396-1467) dedicated himself to care for the capital of Burgundy and the arrangement of his own dwelling. With it, the palace was completely rebuilt – the duke was no longer satisfied with the size nor the appearance of the grandfather house. What did not manage to reach John with fearless military methods, Philip has achieved dynastic marriages and painstaking work on his own "Image": With it, the Burgundy yard eclipsed with its magnificence Parisian, for decades, becoming the legislator of the entire European fashion. The fact that she imagined can be judged by the official portrait of Philip, exhibited in the same fireplace hall. This is a copy from a lost original from the workshop of Rogyr Van der Vagen. The owner of the palace is closed in black velvet camisole with gold embroidery. On the head soft velvet beret, on the neck – the chain of the Order of the Golden Rune.

Subtlety 1

The fact that the portrait belongs to the brush flammant is not by chance. The best artists of the Netherlands worked at the Burgundy yard. So, in 1425, Philip is kind invited to the court of Yana Van Yesik, offering him a fabulous salary – 100 livres per year. And after ten years, it raised it to 360 livres. Court financiers tried to protest – but Philip remained inexorably. Today, the fruits of the wasting patronage of the Dukes can be seen in the museum of graceful arts, also located in the palace complex.

… 316 Stone Steps of the Screw Stairs Behind: Round the Casov, the door upholstered with iron, and we go to the top platform of Philip Tower Good. Dijonsky "colossus" stands on the place of an earlier sentier tower. But unlike his predecessor of a serious military assignment, he did not have. Although in the tower there was a small garrison of sentiginal, conceived and built it was only for the sake of one goal: to personify the power of Burgundy to all their own kind.

If you go down, on the first floor, then you get into the weapon. Two-handed swords, Italian and French blades, Scottish Balashi – the memory of the fights of the Burgundy knights with the Guards of the King Louis Xi – and Hunting Daggers with the stamps of Dijon gunsmiths. As well as – ordinary ..

Subtlety 2

January 11, 1430, on the day of marriage with his third wife, Infanta Isabella Portuguese, Philipped, made a new knightly Order of the Golden Run, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Apostle Andrei First-Called, Patron of Burgundy. It entered the closest and devoted knights. They had to gather once a year – on the day of St. Andrei, November 30. In the charter it was written that the Duke establishes the Order "Because of the special love and location to the knight, to which he passionately wants to increase his honor and prosperity, in order to guard the knighthood, defended and supported the true Catholic faith, the church, the calm and welfare of the state. "

The crusade against the Turks, about which Duke dreamed, did not take place – however, the Order continues to exist in Europe to this day (in the modern meaning of the word, just as a reward: Spanish state and public, which is awarded representatives of the House of Austrian Habsburgs). At the current Dijonians, his name is associated more with a huge shopping center "The Golden Fleece", Putting the name to the most modern city district, the focus of hypermarkets and technology parks.

Weapons – Memory and the last Duke of Burgundy – Carrie Vella (1433-1477). Unlike Philip, he was rather a soldier than a diplomat, and more practitioner than romantic. However, in something he remained faithful father’s style of life: he spoke freely in five languages, danced perfectly and played chess, loved poetry and painting. So, during the preparation of the celebrations on the occasion of the marriage of the Duke on Margarita Yorkskaya in 1468, the yard was invited 300 (!) Artists.

Nevertheless, the main task of the ambitious ruler considered the concern for the army: attracting mercenaries to the infantry, the same remuneration to all soldiers, regardless of status and origin, creating powerful artillery. And here is a paradox – it is at the time of the highest power of the Burgundy army … she was broken by the French. By the 70s of the XV century, contradictions between Paris and Dijon were raced to the limit. United with Habsburgs, Louis XI began a war during which, suffered a number of major lesions due to their own strategic mistakes, Karl died in battle under Nancy in 1477. He was buried in Brugge.

It was a blow from which Burgundy did not recover. It crisses like shaggy skin, then one part of its territory passed into the possession of the French king, the other – to the Habsburgs. This is the end of the brief metropolitan history of Dijon and the beginning of his long provincial life. However, the high plank installed at one time by the Dukes of Valua continued to influence the minds and form the appearance of the city.

• Church of Notre Dame was built from 1220 to 1250

Kings and mayor

The era of the dukes described by us are hidden in the depths of the Dijon Palace Museum. The external of his walls were rebuilt on "Parisian Lad" In the XVII century, with Louis XIV – with the architect, Jules Arduen-Mansar, author of Versailles. The Royal Decree of the King dated June 1, 1680 she said: "To make the city and the residence of His Majesty, the majestic and great, even more beautiful – it is necessary to build an area in front of it, so as to relieve and decorate entry into the palace". Being experienced "Diplomat", Arduuen-Mansar decided not to demolish the distinct gothic and renaissance buildings, reminiscent of citizens about the Majesticity of Duchy, but simply to strengthen them for the classic facade.

Subtlety 3

History has proven that the architect manifested as an architect was quite justified. Already immediately after annexation of Burgundy, Louis Xi built a fortress in Dijon allegedly to protect citizens from external enemies, but rather, in order to look at them. For obvious reasons, this construction erected beyond their account has not enjoyed great love from Dijontians. And so much that, when already in the XIX century, when expanding the city, the castle was decided to demolish at the same time with medieval walls, among the people it caused no less education than the century before the Parisian was the destruction of Bastille (which, by the way, was designed by Dijon architect in the XIV century South Ozz).

The ensemble of the main square was supposed to supplement the equestrian statue of the monarch. She was lucky less than the palace. The monument to Louis XIV was cast in Paris in 1690, after three years he was sent to the destination – first on the river, and then it was supposed to deliver it on land, but in the village of La La russ, where he was unloaded, there was no large and durable cart. Then the carts were found, but there were problems with finance – as a result, the bronze king arrived in Dijon and decorated the area in only thirty years, after his death "Prototype". Yes, and that briefly: at the end of the century, the monument was overflowing on the cannons for the Republican Army. By the way, the same fate suffered most of Dijon church bells. So in the Great French Revolution, the city lost his "Raspberry stall", which once famous in all districts ..

Subtleness 4

At the same time, the royal square became arms with an area (1792). Since then, all major historical events have inevitably reflected on its name: in 1804, it turned into an imperial, when restored, became royal again, and in 1831, after another coup, – again weapons. In 1941, she was painted by the Pocket Marshal Square, and in September 1944 she received the current title: Liberation.

The time of the palace of the palace coincided with the next blooming of the city: in the XVII-XVII centuries, the famous Prose Moralist Bossey, the tragic poet Ma rubyon and composer Ramo. In Dijon, the best architects of France worked – more than half of the buildings of the old city belong to the epoch. The influence of Flanders is inferior to Italian, fancy gothic – strict classicism.

However, almost unchanged from the XV century, several houses have been preserved on the Palace adjacent to the Palace. For example, Shambellan’s mansion, where the mayor of Dijon Henri Shambellan lived, was built in the style of flaming Gothic in 1490, shortly after the fall of the duke. Flat steps you can climb the balcony, decorated with fine wood threads. It should be looked here and not only because it is a beautiful sample of gothic on her right. In the courtyard of the house to different angles, several figures were rushed: one is known as "Little gardener" and keeps the basket on the head, from which the bundle of plants, turning into architectural motifs of the arch. In another corner, stone figures, similar to Adam and Eve, stretch the cut of the fabric and are trying to cover their naked. Why they were there, historians cannot explain. Perhaps the mayor patronized the workshop of Sukchikov? Or maybe "shive"?

In general, after the Duccian era, the most famous and discussed characters became here, of course, mayor. The first place in this list is hotly revered by the citizens of Felix Cyrus, who began his career with a priest. The fact that the words of sermons do not diverge with his own life principles, Dijonians understood even during the fascist occupation, when Cyrus boldly spoke on the side of resistance. After that in 1945, at the age of 69, this former canonon became the mayor. And 22 years remained by the will of citizens in this post. Dijonians love to talk about how in the midst of the Cold War Cyrus decided "Create" Dijon with Volgograd – and even invited a delegation from the new title-twin city to the local wine festival. And also that he invented the aperitif known in the whole country "Cyrus" – a mixture of local black-core liquor "Casis" and dry aligot. In fact, the priest only returned the fashion on the drink, known in Dijon even at the beginning of the twentieth century under the playful title "virgin", But this now nobody remembers.

On the culinary field, another mayor of the city became famous – lawyer Gaston Gerard. In history, he entered not so much the fact that in the 1920s, he established an annual gastronomic fair in Dijon (very soon it became an interregional, and then international) and became later the first Minister of Tourism of France, how much by his recipe "Diizhonski chicken" – "Chicken Gaston Gerard". Here you can also refine: According to local locations, the recipe invented the mayor, but his wife. But this is also more interested in.

The current city manager is a socialist. Therefore, all museums in Dijon are free, and all parking – paid. With his light hand in the city there were night "Chelovela" for young people. Small buses to deep nights cruise on the most popular students from the routes: from the station, cafes and discos to relatives "Total". Of course, the money from students for the passage does not take.

Symbols and talismans

Before the revolution, the mayors were chosen in the church. Filibra. Now this ancient temple is almost always closed due to emergency condition. City authorities do not even know how to approach the restoration … our version "Novodel" Under the guise of salvation of the monument in Dijon will not pass. The case complicates something else that, as in any French town, the basis of any solution always lies "discussion", That is the communication of the elected government with very active civil organizations ..

The main Church of Dijon officially remains built in the XI century Cathedral of St. Benin, the patron of the city. It was here that were transferred after the destruction of the family tomb in the abbey of the Shanmol the remains of the Dukes of the Burgundy.

However, the citizens have long been preferred by the Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame, located near the city market and does not have any relation to any power. Its construction began on the site of the chapel of the same name in 1220. Thirty years later the cathedral was already standing. Initially, how it is headed in Gothic, his facade was decorated with chimeras – until one of them fell on the head of parishioner. Legend says that it happened at the wedding of a local rovaster. The groom was killed on the spot: the court of God came so "Bloodier". In any case, the debtors of the deceased probably wanted to believe it. Perhaps afraid of the equally emergence of the lady, the other wealthy citizens demanded that the authorities remove dangerous sculptures. And they really removed them, leaving only a couple. Those numerous chimeras we see today – much later. They were returned to the facade in the XIX century on the project of architect Lagulya.

And here "genuine" Wooden sculpture of Our Lady, put up to the right of the altar – one of the most ancient in all of France. She was transferred to a new cathedral from the old chapel, standing in his place. The sculpture cut out an unknown master in the XI century. Then she was only dimly, but in the XVI-XVII centuries, for some reason they repainted in black. During one of the recent restorations, the statue returned the former shade, but in some places in the stories about it still occur "Black Virgin" Along with the generally accepted – the Virgin of Good Hope. It is believed that due to its patronage, the city was delighted twice from conquerors. September 11, 1513, after the statue solemnly carried through the streets, the Swiss siege suddenly removed the siege. In September 1944, after disembarking in the Normandy troops of Anglo-Americans, the Germans decided to use Dijon as one of the main defense points. On September 10, the bishop made a prayer, asking the Virgin to protect the city, and on September 11 – on that very day, when he was once delivered from the Swiss, – the Nazis suddenly left Dijon, so the liberators were able to take him without a fight and losses.

… During a walk through the Cathedral, a middle-aged man approached me: I saw him, standing on his knees, a small brush cleaned a red carpet in the altar. Monsieur Jean is not a priest, but in his free time helps to monitor the purity and order in the cathedral. Having learned that I am a our journalist, it is started in the philosophical reasoning about the our and French revolutions. It is extremely interesting to listen to him: in our country they almost do not speak about it, although in fact it is possible to find quite a few parallels.

"And yet, after our revolution and destruction, a new basis arose for development, and after you there was only emptiness", – concludes a worthy of real Frenchman, Monsieur Jean. "By the way, you have already heard the history of our pharmacist Bernard? No? Then let’s go, I will show you the fruits of the revolution!"

We go to the pale, and my new acquaintance points your finger on the arch on the entrance: "Et Voila!" Only now I notice that all the figures are broken there. It turns out that from February 1794 to July 1796, the pharmacist named Bernard from Schodronryry Street came here every day in the morning, as a job (good, in these two years they did not go to the church), and the medieval sculptures were tracked. Then the new power of his coil seemed to the riding civil consciousness. "And now the owner of the neighboring pharmacy asks not to say that Bernard was his colleague – say, they say that he was just an artisan. It can be seen, afraid that it will cease to go for medicines", – Monsieur Jean finishes and adds after a short pause: "But I still tell you how it really was". Then, in the rampant of revolutionary passions, the Virgin of Good Hope lost his baby – in 1794 the crowd of revolutionary residents broke into the church, the statue was overturned and the sculpture of little Jesus disappeared from his knees of Madonna.

On the contrary, with time "Argued offspring" Mechanical figurine Jacmar on the clock of the Cathedral Tower – another one "antiquity", which Dijonians are proud of. The clock as a trophy gift was brought to the townspeople Duke Philippe bold from Flanders – there he helped the test to pacify the revolving cities, in particular Kurtra, where eighty before that French was brutal defeat. Grateful Dijonians set the wonder on the roof of the cathedral of the Mother of God and quickly got used to the new Iron City. For the past century, he smoke his tube and philosophically looks at the people. Later, it was decided to brighten the loneliness of Jacmara – another mechanical figure, Jacqueline appeared on the roof of the cathedral. So forced emigrant from Kurtra found his wife. In the XVIII century, the family acquired and the son – Jacquin, and in 1885 the daughter of Jacquins was added to him. Adults in turn "Return" Hammer clock, children help them every 15 and 30 minutes.

• Jacmar clock with iron mechanical figures – one of the oldest in France

Subtleness 5

All this touching story was continued now in our time: in the sixties, the mayor of the Belgian Kurtra, the Mayor of the Belgian Kurtra, glanced in Dijon and asked the local mayor (they were just a Cyrus) on favor: Return the clock to the homeland. Cyrus smiled and answered: "If jacmar was bachelor. But we cannot serve the French family!"

Finally, in recent years, stone owl has made a favorite urban symbol, which is several centuries ago "settled" on the wall of the cathedral notre ladies. According to one of the legends, the medieval master perpetuated after his death his favorite, from which he never parted. So it was or not, but modern Diyonians believe: touching his left hand will bring good luck. Before the exam, students necessarily look at a narrow street to touch the bird’s wise. Of course, the newlyweds also come here "for luck" after the marriage ceremony in the city hall or church. It is worth staying for a few minutes on the street owl – and you will immediately see: no one will pass by, without touching the stone talisman.

For interest in her passers-by, by the way, the police watches around the clock. And all because on the night of January 5-16, 2001, owls beat the left side. Dijonians were excited and offended – someone dreamed of touched their charm! The owl was carefully renovated and installed a 24-hour tracking chamber … So, triggering to Owl, smile – you are in the frame! And do not worry – Guards of the order guard and you.

Quality signs

From here you can go further by "Sovic trail": A lot of stoneware in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the City Tour Burero appeared a lot "Societies" – Metal sign indicators on asphalt indicate the main tourist route in the city.

Let’s say on the same street there is a home merchant Gioma Miller, built back in 1483. On the first floor there was a shop – the stone counter lived to the present day, but the deaf shutters were still replaced by showcase glasses. On the second there was a merchant with his household. The facade is decorated with incomplete cross-on-cross boards – here you can see not just a construction fastener, but also the symbol of Burgundy, Andreevsky Cross.

Subtlety 6

Monsieur Miller now knows the whole France – part of the events in the film unfolds on his background "Sirano de Bergerac", Where the naked poet played Gerard Depardieu.

And recently right on the contrary "Houses Sirano" Restored another medieval building. It accommodated the most cozy gingerbread store in the city. Owns them, on the rights of long-term lease, friendly Dijon family – Mark and Annette Plasmashar. Sweets are doing here, in the basement – you can go down and see. And at the same time to listen to the story about the history of Dijon Gingerbread. Break out of them. Or drink an aperitif – also with gingerbread. True, the our man Dijon baking may seem with unaccustomed united. What is not surprising: the townspeople not only be taught by it for dessert – escalls are collapsed in breadcrumbs, and they themselves do "Canape" with rocofor cheese, fua gras, vegetable caviar and even smear them … mustard!

Since we came about gastronomy – no visit to Dijon can do without visiting local markets. There are many of them, and in the revolutionary period, by the way, it was even more – it was in the markets and food warehouses who were more advocated that the religious buildings turned out: in the church, Saint-Etienne staged a grain warehouse, in Saint-Jean – cheese, in Saint-Filibre – Salt and deployed wine trade. Yes, and the main city covered market "Le al", built in the 1870s on the sample of Paris, also stretched at the place of the church. As in the metropolitan prototype, here fire resistant metal arched structures combine utilitarianism and elegance. Product quality is also at the highest level – good, to the rural area with hand to file, and Dijon himself has recently been famous for the center of agricultural developments and technologies: the National Institute of Agronomical Research here was opened immediately after the war.

"Sovic trail" goes through the entire old Dijon is almost a hundred hectares and about 3,000 buildings guarded as "historical monuments". Novodel "under ancient" Among them – except that unusual signs, since 1984, the Government of Dijon has encouraged their installation on old buildings since.

Among several thousand monuments of architecture are not only gothic, renaissance or classicism, but also the twentieth century. Hotel where we settled, a beautiful building in the Art Deco style. The facade remained untouched, although inside the house now there are no residential apartments, as before, and an anthill standard hotel rooms (my neighbors – Cyclists from England and French Officials of Middle Hand on a business trip. ). On the contrary – the solemn building of the post office, built on the project Louis Perra, and its same house in the style of ar-nouvo with roofs in the form of Chinese pagodas, where the most successful "Dijon shops", as Local Bourgeois called in the early 1930s Henry Miller. V "Tropic cancer", which he began here, described the first impression of the main character from the city. "Sit down from the train, I immediately understood that I made a fatal mistake. In the center of the city there were many cafes, empty and boring, where sleepy Dijon shopkeepers were going to play cards and listen to music. The best thing you can say about these cafes – there are excellent stoves and comfortable chairs. Unoccupied prostitutes for a glass of beer or a cup of coffee willingly sat down to your table chat. But the music was monstrous. In the winter evening, in such a dirty hole, like Dijon, there is nothing worse than the sounds of French orchestrick. Especially if it is one of the sad female ensembles … Everything here was gloomy, cold, gray, inspired and hopeless".

Today, Dijon cafes have lost all "Millerovskoye" originality. They have no disgusting music, no local girls ready "for all" For a glass of red, nor boredom generating the idle vice. Cafe in Dijon is now the same as in any other city of France: clean and bright. Smoking someone else can, but no longer everywhere. Half an hour before closing no longer poured – the law does not allow. Now for "Millerovsky" The Spirit has to go not to Dijon, but in developing countries ..

Not the first – and not the last

In the Millerovsky Description of Dijon, the typical metropolitan snobbery. On the contrary, another Parisian, Hugo, estimated the provincial charm of Dijon, calling him "charming city, melancholic and pleasant". It is not surprising that there is a prospect of his name, whereas nothing is reminded about Miller, except that the College of Carno, where he taught for the bed and hacci. However, here you can see and simple manifestation of French egocentricism.

"I had a lot of time and no penny in my pocket. Two or three hours a day I had to lead the lessons of conversational English – that’s all. And why these poor people English?" Indeed, why? And today’s Diyonians differ little from other residents of France in terms of interest in foreign languages: come here better with knowledge of French.

It is difficult to imagine that once the city was famous for its cosmopolitanism: under the Dukes of Valua here, as we remember, masters came out from all over Europe. Now the only echo of the then spirit seemed to me showcase of a hat store on one of the side streets in the center. This will not meet even in the capital. I have long considered in it … no, not the goods – exhibits: from Mexican Sombrero and these "Panam", from Frantovatown Gangster "Borsalino" to the Basque Berets and the Ladies’ Hats, which are now shown by the British aristocracy at the receptions yes french provincials "By Sunday Messe"..

Even among the Dijon Crowd, you can suddenly hear Slavic speech.

Subtlety 7

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Faculty of Law of the Burgundy University graduated from Eduard Benesh, afterwards – President Czechoslovakia. Since his filing, in the 1920s, the exchange between Czech and Slovak universities and the very college of Carno, where Miller taught a little later. After that, the connection between Dijon and Eastern Europe was interrupted several times, until he experienced a new rise in the 1990s, when another college "contacted" With Poles. All this led to the fact that several years ago, the prestigious Paris School of Political Sciences opened its branch in Dijone, specializing in Central and Eastern Europe.

Dijonians have long been reconciled with the fact that their city is not "first" And even not "second" in the country. But they were not going to fully pass positions and are not going to. When in the middle of the twentieth century, Paris-Lyon’s direct railway branch should be laid, Dijon residents cost considerable work to ensure that it passed and "Through them" – While many other cities did not show any special interest to the railway … In the 80s of the last century, the situation repeated: this time the idea of ​​the high-speed line. And again local residents managed to insist that the trains went through their city. Now they are cared that aircraft fly from Dijon abroad only through Paris ..

In pursuit of "prosperity" Local authorities do not want, however, to sacrifice neither the usual measured rhythm, neither the comfort and conveniences of a small town. In the historical centers of modern megacities, gardens and kindergartens often disappear, giving way to parking. In Dijon, it is excluded, and his parks will envy many capitals.

There are also urban squares, like Garden Darcy, located nearby "Modernova" the area and something resembling the city park in Kursk or Taganrog … Is that evening there is not sitting there, putting his legs on the benches, local youth with bottles of beer – in French laws, all the parks are closed exactly at eight in the evening, and the permanent guard itself will expose everyone who I did not hear his whistle. Of course, there is a rotunda in the garden "spa" style and bridge … to our latitudes "Sells" and the figure of the polar bear. Polar handsome man – a copy from the work of the famous sculptor-animalist Francois Pompon, who worked for a while in Dijon.

In addition, the city is famous for its botanical gardens. Remember the figure "Gardener", Decorating the manor Shambellan? She has long become one of the urban symbols: the local gardening tradition goes its roots in the depths of centuries.

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The corporation of representatives of this profession exists here since 1685. Today she is not only responsible for professional solidarity, but also for the device of traditional holidays, like a September floral procession. In the city there are whole horticultural dynasties, where the craft is transmitted from the Father to the Son, from generation to generation. A representative of this kind brought in the XIX century a popular variety of roses Glory Dijon. And one more fact: once every three years a horticultural exhibition "Florissimo" Attracts the number of visitors equal to the 150th population of the city.

The famous Mayor Cyrus also put his hand to the landscape design of Dijon and the surrounding area. His surroundings, in general, has managed to get used to and accept the fact that the canonik a lot and willingly built – for example, a hospital complex in Le Bokage has grown and a university campus has been equipped with. However, when the mayor of the dreamer stated that the city is needed a large and beautiful lake, officials protested. He was proved that in the summer it would inevitably bloom and the clouds of mosquito will appear on it, not to mention that all this mayor’s office is not affordable. Kiru even offered in return to build a swimming pool, but from "Leg bath" – so the Grador characterized an alternative project – he refused. In the 1960s, despite the universal hostility, Cyrus literally imposed a city council of a pond on the river ears. Today, reservoir with its sandy beach and an adjacent park is one of the favorite holiday destinations of citizens, especially in hot weather.

. Access to the public to the Tower of Philip is good closes at five in the evening. Of course, this does not suit us: I want to rent a city in "mode", That is, when the sky has not yet completely darkened, and street lights have already lit. Short moment of happiness for every photographer. About our request report to the mayor. He fully understands us and gives a personal permission to overcome 316 steps to look at the evening Dijon. But it turns out that none of the employees, "Mounted for the tower", With us will not climb – this is overtime. And without accompaniment to the tower it is impossible to rise. We are cutting out Stephanie – our curator from the Dijon tourism bureau. Her here everyone knows and willingly allow us to make us a company. Jacmar beats nine evenings. Rain, drizzled all day, as commissioned, stops. Dijon demonstrates us all the beauty of your autumn evening.

Removal! We descend down, and here it turns out that the door of the XVIII century can now be opened only from the outside. I remember the story of the duke bar with longing … as well as the many hours of seating in the Moscow elevator. What to do? Stephanie calls her husband. Husband – to the police. Police – us. A few minutes later the door sprinkle. Guard of order in the blue form sitting on it with a smile informs us: "You are free!"

In evening deserts – the special charm of the French province. As before, in Dijon, it gets up early and go to bed early. Show-windows of stores are either not covered at all, or one shines, "duty", bulb. I return to the hotel for the reasoning Stephanie about her city with the failed metropolitan destiny and its inhabitants: "Real Parisian now find hard. This is either Bretonians or Alsassians or Emigrants. But we fully feel like a Dijonians". And I unwittingly think that everything that is done is for the better: having lost the capital status and never getting the opportunity to rule the world, the city of Dukes Valua managed to keep his style and find the golden middleness between the bold desire for perfection and wise enjoyment already achieved.