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Walls of the Ville de Nevers
Every stone of this walled city resonates with history

By Frank Pettee, Le Vieux Moulin

Walled towns are unique inheritances from times long past. They should be treasured, maintained and safeguarded from neglect and destruction, and passed on in perpetuity as irreplaceable stone markers of history. For this is the unique intrigue that a walled town holds:  The walls speak of fortresses, wars, feuds, struggles for land ownership and power.

The walls were also an original dividing line between classes and lifestyles. They were created to block the free passage of people, and in so doing they often produced a heritage that was “owned” by one group and “disowned” by another. Just as important as the town wall was the gate that opened to the outside world, to traders or perhaps pilgrims. It symbolically opened the town to the ideas of the outside world while projecting the concept of an urban civilization to an agricultural hinterland. 

Touring walled towns holds a special fascination for travelers who are intrigued with more than just the history you mark with monuments. These towns are for travelers who want to experience an authentic sense of connection with life in medieval times. 

In France’s Loire Valley, known worldwide for its spectacular Renaissance castles, the walled town of Ville de Nevers gives travelers a true sense of life in the Middle Ages. Located about 100 miles southeast of Paris, Nevers is a small provincial town that’s also the capital of the Department of Nievre. Situated on the slope of a hill on the right bank of the Loire at its confluence with the Nievre River, Nevers has narrow winding streets that lead from the quay through town, lined with numerous old houses from the 14th through 17th centuries.  

The town is also one of the principal art centers of the Burgundy region. Under the aegis of the Italian Gonzaga family during the 16th century, Nevers became home to a school of artists skilled in the arts of faience and glassblowing. The city is still known for the fine porcelain produced there.  

Walking tours of the Ville de Nevers 

Although walled towns are proud of their monuments, sometimes they’re hard to find and just looking for them can itself be a pleasurable adventure. As they’re seeking out historic architectural structures, travelers get to enjoy quaint streets, unexpected viewpoints, a bustling lifestyle built around the town’s history, modern day stores and boutiques, and, of course, fine local eateries. So it is walking through Nevers: Travelers find themselves interacting with the locals, many of whom are more than willing to share their knowledge and perspective of the history of the town’s architecture and monuments. 

The historical center of Nevers is located on a mound near the river Loire. The center was the focal point of the town, containing all of the temporal power of the dukes and counts and the spiritual power of the bishops, with each group having its own monument: the Ducal Palace (15^th century) and the Saint-Cyr-Sainte Juilitte Cathedral (6th-16^th century). (In the 19^th century, the Hotel de Ville became the seat of government power.)

Located to the north, the Ducal Palace, former home of the dukes of Nevers, is in the highest spot on the mound and seems to divide it in two. Before the palace is a large square that extends all the way down to the river. In 1810, Madame de Cousse-Brissac, heiress of the last Duke of Nevers, sold the main castle and its outer buildings to the City and Department of Nevers.The buildings were used as a town hall and law offices until 1850 when they were moved to the Hotel de Ville.

Visitors will find spectacular architecture at the Ducal Palace, complete with octagonal turrets and an elegant central tower adorned with sculptures, dating back to the mid-17th century, illustrating the family history of the first duke, François de Clèves. The structure now houses an annex of the law courts.

Nearby, the Cathédrale de St-Cyr reveals a walled display of French architectural styles, from the 10th to the 16th centuries. St-Cyr has two opposite apses; one Gothic, the other Romanesque. A unique feature of the structure is its contemporary stained glass windows, which were created by several different artisans. After an air raid on July 16, 1944, which destroyed most of the original windows in the structure, local artisans were commissioned to replace the windows with their own designs. 

The Hotel de Ville was constructed in 1802 to provide an easier route between the authorities on the mound and the exit from the city. The building also separated the Ducal Palace from the Madeleine Gardens and the remains of an old feudal castle. In 1827, a new edifice was constructed to house the municipal library, justice of the peace and the trade tribunal. The building was completed in 1834 and has undergone many transformations since then. In 1899, the architect Brazeau rebuilt the entire structure.

Just as intriguing as the ecclesiastical monuments on the mound, is the late 11th-century church of St-Étienne, located on the east side of the town center. Originally the church of the Benedictine monastery, it was built by monks from Cluny. Behind its plain exterior lies one of the prototype pilgrim churches, with galleries above the aisles, an ambulatory and three beautiful, perfectly arranged chapels radiating around the apse.

From the town’s rail station, Avenue de Gaulle leads to Place Carnot. On the left is the Parc Roger-Salengro, boasting unexpected sculptures of Les Sangliers (wild boars). The north side of the park borders the convent of St-Gildard, where Bernadette of Lourdes ended her days. Her embalmed body is displayed in a glass-fronted shrine in the convent chapel. There are daily viewing hours in the summer and winter, but times vary depending on the season. Within walking distance from the chapel is the contemporary church of Ste-Bernadette du Banlay, erected in 1966 in the style of the 17^th-century architects Claude Parent and Paul Virilio.

On other side of Avenue de-Gaulle, by Place Mossé and the bridge over the Loire (and just a five-minute walk from the rail station), visitors will pass a section of the old town walls and the Tour Goguin, parts of which date back to the 11th century. To the right is the Porte de Croux, a stone tower with intact machicolations; holes in the parapets or battlements through which stones and weapons were thrown. Inside, there's a small local archeology museum displaying mainly Greek and Roman statuaries.

To the north of the Ducal palace, on the way out of town towards Orléans, is the Porte de Paris. This triumphal arch straddles Rue des Ardilliers, commemorating one of Europe's major conflicts, the battle of Fontenoy. The battle was fought between Charlemagne's sons in 841 A.D. At stake was Charlemagne's empire. The outcome of the battle led to the division of Charlemagne’s lands east and west of the Rhine, forming the boundaries of modern France and Germany.

This is only a small part of the number of monuments and buildings that adorn the town of Nevers. Rich in history and unique in culture, the treasures of this walled town are fascinating and should be included in an itinerary while touring of the Loire Valley.