UNESCO World Heritage · 1979
Vézelay, Church and Hill
Cultural
WHS ID
84
Inscribed
1979
Category
Cultural
Description
Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vézelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of pilgrimage. St Bernard preached the Second Crusade there in 1146 and Richard the Lion-Hearted and Philip II Augustus met there to leave for the Third Crusade in 1190. With its sculpted capitals and portal, the Madeleine of Vézelay – a 12th-century monastic church – is a masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture.
Inscription details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| WHS ID | 84 |
| Inscribed | 1979 |
| Category | Cultural |
| Criteria | (i) |
| State party | France |
| Transboundary | No |
| French name | Basilique et colline de Vézelay |
Protected monuments
| Monument | Commune | Protected |
|---|---|---|
| Château de Lurais | Lurais | 1987 |
| Eglise de Marcé | Marcé | 1972 |
| Immeuble de Orléans | Orléans | 1945 |
| Eglise Saint-Martin de Lignières-de-Touraine | Lignières-de-Touraine | 2014 |
| Maison en pans de bois du 15e siècle | Mondoubleau | 1935 |
| Ateliers de fabrication de vitraux, dits Ateliers Lorin | Chartres | 1999 |
| Eglise de La Chapelle-Huon | La Chapelle-Huon | 1926 |
| Eolienne Bollée de Berchères-les-Pierres | Berchères-les-Pierres | 1993 |
| Maison de Orléans | Orléans | 1925 |
| Manoir de la Roche-Musset | Cinq-Mars-la-Pile | 1947 |
| Chapelle Saint-Jacques et Sainte-Anne de l'Ecluse | Brecé | 2019 |
| Moulin de Thévalles (également sur commune de Saulges) | Chémeré-le-Roi | 1999 |
| Prieuré de Breuil-Bellay (ancien) | Cizay-la-Madeleine | 1963 |
| Maison de Orléans | Orléans | 1928 |
| Maison de Le Mans | Le Mans | 1926 |
Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Updated: April 14, 2026.