Chaugey brings together architecture and art, traces from several periods and a distinctive landscape surrounding the village. The Église Saint-Sulpice, the history of the Templars and the Marais du Cônois each offer a different perspective. If you are comparing cultural history and nature when choosing your destination, you will find both tangible historical evidence and a wetland with moorland slopes here.
Church and Religious Art
The Église Saint-Sulpice has architectural features from the 12th, 17th and 19th centuries. Statues of the Virgin Mary and Saint George stand on its façade. The church also preserves wall paintings, including consecration medallions featuring the Apostles and a depiction of the Miracle of Saint Hubert. This means that several architectural periods sit alongside specifically named figures and motifs in one building. The centuries indicate the different building phases, while the statues and paintings each add their own themes of religious art.
Historical Traces in the Village
Chaugey is mentioned as early as 887. A Roman road ran through the village, and Merovingian sarcophagi were discovered southwest of it in the Combe aux Saints. The village's history also includes a Templar establishment, which was once under the commandery of Bure-les-Templiers. These traces encompass different forms of history, from an early mention and a transport route to archaeological finds and a medieval religious order structure.
Another local connection is the preserved birthplace of Vice-Admiral Jean-Henry Dupotet. Two decorated stones from the 16th and 17th centuries are set into the cemetery wall; one of the stones bears an engraved Templar cross. There is also a 15th-century Calvary beside a well with a livestock trough and washbasin, with reliefs carved on both sides. If you are interested in the connection between local history and religious art, these details extend beyond the church to the wall, well and birthplace.
Wetland, Moorland and Watercourse
Near Chaugey lies the 7-hectare Marais du Cônois, a wetland listed as a ZNIEFF. It is home to a particularly important site for the marsh felwort (Swertia perennis). Access is via the D102 from Bure-les-Templiers towards Chaugey; after about 2 km, a road sign points to the car park. Road signs and conditions can change, so check them before setting out.
Other landscape features have their own names: in the Val des Prés-Mous, tufa moorlands cover the slopes south, north and east of Chaugey. The Vau is a small watercourse near Chaugey.
Cycling to Chaugey
The Circuit des Crêtes reaches Chaugey via a small road overlooking the Ource valley. Cycling there offers another perspective on the village, alongside its buildings and historical traces. Road conditions can change; check the route before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Daix, Châtellenot, Arcenant, Ternant, Chenôve, Arc-Sur-Tille, Levernois, Précy-sous-Thil.
For the main travel overview: Cote-Dor.
