Located at the heart of the regional nature reserve of Morvan, in Burgundy, the celebrated hill at Vézelay and its famous Roman basilica have been listed as world heritage sites by Unesco since 1979.
Shortly after its foundation in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbey of Vézelay acquired the relics of St Mary Magdalene and since then it has been an important place of pilgrimage.
St Bernard preached the Second Crusade there in 1146 and Richard the Lion-Hearted and Philip II Augustus met there to leave for the Third Crusade in 1190.
