Undoubtedly for us the
highlight of Dijon was the Musée des Beaux-Arts, part of the Palais des Ducs.
This came as something of a surprise to us as the gallery specialises in Mediæval
art. We tend to dismiss this period of art, but not here. The paintings came
over as fresh as though they had been done only yesterday. The colours positively
glowed out of the frames. The themes tended to be of a Christian religious
nature. The artists were largely unknown, certainly by me. We’ve come back
thinking we should explore more this world. this is certainly the greatest collection of such art we've ever seen.
Also, in Salle des Gardes,
stand the tombs of some of the great Dukes of Burgundy from the 14th-15th
century. Here lies John the Fearless (duke 1404-19) & his wife Margaret of
Bavaria, & the Philip the Bold (duke 1364-1404). In their day the power of
Burgundy was greater than that of the king of France, & extended not only
over much of France but also into present day Belgium & the Netherlands.
From the tombs alone it is evident it was a time of great wealth for the area,
or at least for the dukes.
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| Salle des Gardes |
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