Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Location within Burgundy region  Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Administration
Country	France
Region	Burgundy
Department	Côte-d'Or
Arrondissement	Montbard
Canton	Venarey-les-Laumes
Mayor	Catherine Troubat (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	239–482 m (784–1,581 ft) (avg. 426 m/1,398 ft)
Land area1	27.79 km2 (10.73 sq mi)
Population2	323  (2008)
- Density	12 /km2 (31 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	21271/ 21150
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in the region of Burgundy in eastern France.

The old village is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France") association.

Geography

The medieval city of Flavigny is situated on a rocky spur, surrounded by three streams, the Ozerain, the Recluse and the Verpant.

History

The village of Flavigny is first mentioned, as Flaviniacum, in the cartulary (or charter) of the Benedictine Abbey founded on the site by a certain Widerard in 719. In the mid-9th century, in response to the increasing frequency of Viking raids, the relics of Ste Reine or Regina were removed from the nearby town of Alise to Flavigny in the hopes that they could be better protected in a more fortified setting. The relics remain in Flavigny to this day, although they travel back to Alise every fall for the celebration of the saint's holy day in early September.

The town was prosperous during the Middle Ages, catering to large numbers of pilgrims, both those who came to visit the local saint and those on their way to Compostella. By the 10th century, the abbey had grown into a town, with a parish church dedicated to St Genest in addition to the abbey church (dedicated to St Peter). During the 12th and 13th centuries, extensive fortifications were raised around the town; large portions of the wall are visible to this day, including the Porte du Val (which includes both an inner gate dating to the 13th century and a sixteenth century outer gate), and the 15th century Porte du Bourg with its statue of the Virgin. In spite of these fortifications, Flavigny was occupied by the English during the Hundred Years' War.

In 1632 the Ursuline convent of Flavigny was founded and in the early 18th century a new residence for the Abbot of Flavigny was constructed; by that time the abbacy had become corrupt and was held by a layman who had little to do with the town. At the beginning of the French Revolution, there may have been as few as five monks in residence. The abbey church was probably already ruinous, although local tradition holds that it suffered damage at the hands of revolutionaries. The parish church was more or less unharmed.

In the 21st century, Flavigny has something fewer than 400 year-round residents, although this number increases in the summer due to the foreigners (Swiss, American, Australian, German) who have summer homes in the village. The abbey now houses the factory which manufactures Les Anis de Flavigny, small aniseed flavored pastilles with a world wide popularity. Various artists an artisans make their homes in the village, and it has become a popular tourist destination.

Population

Historical population of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

Year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
Population	283	437	385	435	411	341	323

Sights

Flavigny Abbey.

Flavigny is the sole producer of the anise-flavored candy Anise of Flavigny, which was first manufactured by the monks.

The 2000 movie Chocolat by Lasse Hallström was shot in Flavigny.

It has a seminary of the Society of St. Pius X, a traditionalist organisation, the Séminaire International Saint Curé d'Ars. The society has no canonical status within the Roman Catholic Church but is presently engaged in dialogue with the Vatican about achieving this in the future (see the Present canonical status of the SSPX).

The Jardin botanique textile is a botanical garden specializing in plants used for textiles, baskets, and rope.

See also

• Communes of the Côte-d'Or department

References

• INSEE

• Société des Amis de la Cité de Flavigny, Flavigny sur Ozerain, Côte-d'Or: A Medieval Town in Burgundy, trans. Maud McInerney (Marmagne: Jany Imprimerie, 2002).
• Philippe Boutry et Dominique Julia, eds., Reine Au Mont Auxois: Le culte et le pèlerinage de Sainte Reine des origines à nos jours (Dijon: Cerf 1997).

External links

• Village website
• Abbey of Saint-Joseph de Clairval website