Located north of Burgundy, the charming village of Villeneuve-l'Archevêque benefits from a choice location and an architectural heritage that's well worth a visit. Located in a peaceful setting at the heart of the Vanne Valley, it's only around fifty kilometres from Auxerre and about thirty minutes from tourist destinations like the Othe forest or the medieval towns of Troyes and Sens.
The town was founded in around 1150 and built to a chequered plan typical of the Middle Ages, by the monks of Saint-Jean-lès-Sens. In 1239, St. Louis received Christ's Crown of Thorns there, after acquiring it from the Venetians. The Charter of Lorris contributed to the prosperity and expansion of the village.
Lovers of religious buildings will appreciate the Romanesque Church of Our Lady, a listed Historic Monument. Dating from the 12th century, it was remodelled twice, in the 13th and then the 16th century. It has a Gothic bay, Renaissance choir, 16th-century statuary, beautiful Entombment dating from 1528 from Vauluisant Abbey, and a remarkable portal decorated with sculpted figures.
