La Motte

The Motte de Vesoul is a limestone hill overlooking Vesoul and the Durgeon valley, at an altitude of 378 metres, with an ascent of more than a kilometre. More than an emblem, the Motte chapel which culminates at the top is a bit like our Eiffel Tower, so many people like to walk or meditate there.
A little history

The site of the Motte offers a superb view of Vesoul, the Jura and in good conditions the Alps. It has become the symbol of the Vesoul landscape.

Since the High Middle Ages, the Motte hillock has been crowned by a castle. It was on the lower slopes that the first houses were built and the vineyards covered the slopes.

In the 18th century, a huge cross was erected on the site of the castle to protect the vineyard (the wine of La Motte was very popular with the Dukes of Burgundy).

To thank the Virgin Mary for having protected the town from the cholera epidemic in 1854, the Vésuliens built the present chapel, which was blessed three years later. La Motte is considered a place of pilgrimage and a sanctuary. It suffered a fire, then was rebuilt in 1967. The chapel houses a statue of the Virgin in white painted bronze, 3.50 m high.