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Musée du Châtillonnais The Treasure of Vix  To see a huge bronze vase made in the 6C BC, standing 1.64 m (5ft) high, in perfect condition is breath-taking. This is the centre piece of the Musée du Châtillonnais in the Maison Philandrier at Châtillon-sur-Seine in the north east of Burgundy. In 1953 a tomb was discovered at Mont Lassois near Vix. The skeleton of a 30 year old princess was uncovered, wearing jewels including a massive gold torque. Amongst other things, this Vase of Vix, the largest piece ever found from the Celtic period, was in the tomb. It has a sculpted frieze and Gorgon’s heads on the handles with snake like legs, a recurring theme in Burgundian sculpture. The Rough Guide to France says; ‘How these magnificent objects found their way to such a remote place is a mystery. One explanation lies in the fact that the village of Vix is the highest navigable point on the Seine, and it’s thought that the Celtic chieftains who controlled it received such gifts possibly from traders in Cornish tin shipped south from Britain via here on its way to the Adriatic, or perhaps to the bronze workers of Bibracte, the capital of the Aedui.’ Other exhibits in the museum include ancient surgical implements, and finds from various Gallo-Roman sites in the region. The Maison Philandrier, the location of the exhibition, is a charming venue. In the summer of 2007, a team of Franco-German archaeologists led by Bruno Chaume from the University of Bourgogne in Dijon uncovered a fortress village on the plateau beneath Mont Lassois. Here, a palace was revealed, the size of a church, 35 m by 21.5 m and some 15m high. Further investigation, thanks to the advances in seismology equipment, have discovered a town covering an area of 60 hectares with a main street leading to the palace, dwellings for hundreds of people, grain warehouses and water cylinders. This town, dating back 2,500 years could well be the first signs of urbanisation in western Europe, and the first town in France. Due to the importance of Vix, the collection is going to have a new home in the Abbey of Notre Dame in Châtillon-sur-Seine, which is now being renovated. It is due to open in 2009. Musée du Châtillonnais is open: Sept to June: 9.30-12.00 and 14.00-17.00 Places to Visit Nearby: places to stay: |
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