Semur-en-Brionnais

Semur-en-Brionnais is the birthplace of Saint Hugh of Cluny, abbot of Cluny from 1049 to 1109, reformer of the Church and much-heeded adviser of kings and Pope Gregory VII. It was at his initiative that the church of Saint-Hilaire was built, in Cluniac Romanesque style and dating from the twelfth century. The castle where he was born inspires more fear than serenity: massive, almost without openings, it has a rectangular ninth-century keep and, fitted with oubliettes, served as a prison during the Revolution. The only way in was a pit six metres deep into which prisoners were thrown and then forgotten.

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