Saint-Pierre Festival

The Saint-Pierre Festival, the beating heart of the village of Cravant

Each year, on the first weekend of July, the medieval town of Cravant (89460) comes alive for its patronal festival of Saint-Pierre. Organized by the association "Cravant en fête", this celebration brings together villagers and visitors from all over the Auxerrois region for two days of convivial entertainment, generous food, and a highly anticipated nightly fireworks display. The festival takes its name from the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church, an emblematic monument of the village listed as a historic monument, whose origins date back to the 13th century — a remarkable building whose imposing dimensions testify to the past importance of Cravant, a former town of over 3,000 inhabitants in the Middle Ages.

Beyond the religious celebration, the Saint-Pierre Festival is above all a popular festival: it perpetuates the tradition of village patronal festivals that punctuate the summer calendar of the Yonne region for generations. In a village deeply marked by viticulture, it is also an opportunity to celebrate an exceptional terroir, that of the Irancy appellation, of which Cravant is one of the three producing communes alongside Irancy and Vincelottes.

Cravant, a medieval wine-making town at the confluence of the Yonne and Cure rivers

To understand the Saint-Pierre Festival, one must first understand Cravant. This town in the Yonne region, located 18 km south of Auxerre on the N6 national road, occupies an exceptional geographical position: it lies at the confluence of the Yonne, Cure, and Nivernais Canal, a river crossroads that earned it recognition as the premier port of the Yonne by Charles VI (1384) as early as the late 14th century. It was due to this strategic importance that Charles VI authorized the construction of ramparts in 1384 to protect trade and merchants. Demolished in 1792 by order of the Convention, these fortifications have left traces still visible today: the late 14th-century belfry (the "Watchtower" or "Clock Tower", 22 meters high) and three ancient medieval gates bear witness to this glorious past.

Vine cultivation has been a millennia-old tradition in Cravant. From the Early Middle Ages, monks from the Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre cultivated the surrounding hillsides, and viticultural donations are attested as early as the reigns of Charles II the Bald (861) and Charles III the Simple (900). Throughout the Middle Ages and until the 19th century, the wines of the Auxerrois region — including those produced on the clay-limestone slopes of Cravant — were transported via the Yonne to Paris, making Cravant a busy little river port. Today, the commune is an integral part of the Irancy AOC appellation, created in 1999, producing a Burgundy red wine mainly from Pinot Noir, sometimes blended with César, an old local grape variety that adds color and character. Several wine estates are established in the commune, perpetuating an uninterrupted tradition for fifteen centuries.

Two days of festivities in the heart of the village

The Saint-Pierre Festival spans two days, generally Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend in July. The association "Cravant en fête", the driving force behind the event, prepares a rich program each year that combines commercial, gastronomic, musical, and pyrotechnic entertainment.

The summer craft market

At the heart of the festival is a summer craft market held in the narrow streets of the old town. Local artisans, creators, and producers from the Auxerrois and Burgundy regions showcase their skills and products: pottery, jewelry, textiles, jams, honey, cheeses, and Irancy and Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre wines. This market is the perfect opportunity to discover the richness of the Yonne's artisanal productions while strolling through a remarkable medieval setting.

Catering with local producers

The Saint-Pierre Festival highlights local producers: the catering offered on-site relies on the resources of the Auxerrois and Burgundy regions. You'll find regional specialties — grilled meats, stews, cheeses — all accompanied by wines from the Irancy and Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre appellations produced just a few kilometers from the town. This focus on short supply chains reflects Cravant's deep agricultural and viticultural roots.

Concerts and entertainment

A festive and musical dimension is present at every edition: concerts and musical entertainment liven up the evenings, creating a warm and popular atmosphere typical of the patronal festivals of the Yonne region. Activities for families and children complete the daytime program, making Saint-Pierre an intergenerational event where the village elders and new families settled in Cravant and the Deux Rivières community of communes come together.

The fireworks display

The fireworks display is the highlight of the festival. Launched in the evening from the outskirts of the village, it illuminates the sky of the Yonne valley in a grand finale of colors and lights. Cravant's privileged geographical location — between the meanders of the Yonne and the wine-growing hillsides — offers a spectacular setting for this moment eagerly awaited by the entire population. The reflection of the light bursts on the river waters adds a magical dimension to the show, etched in the memories of the inhabitants.

The Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church, spiritual heart of the festival

The patronal festival draws its name and meaning from the Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church of Cravant, a listed historic monument of remarkable scale. Its central nave dates back to the 13th century; the side aisles are from the 15th century; the bell tower dates from 1551, and several chapels were added between 1555 and 1598. The vault of the nave was completed in 1611. Due to its dimensions — which recall that Cravant was once a town of over 3,000 inhabitants — this church is considered one of the most beautiful in the Sénonais and Auxerrois regions. Its joint dedication to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, whose liturgical feast day falls on June 29th, explains the proximity of the patronal festival to this date, traditionally held at the beginning of July.

Cravant en fête: an association dedicated to social connection

Behind the Saint-Pierre Festival is the volunteer energy of the association "Cravant en fête", whose social purpose is precisely the organization of communal festivities. This associative structure, headquartered in Cravant, also organizes the Bastille Day ball on July 13th and other summer events, contributing to keeping the social fabric of this rural village in the Yonne alive. Its commitment illustrates the vitality of the Burgundian associative world, which has been working for decades to preserve local festive traditions in the face of changes in rural life.

The Saint-Pierre Festival belongs to that precious category of village patronal festivals that enrich local life in France. Without pretension but with constant care for living well together, it brings the community of Cravant together in a spirit of authentic conviviality, in a place steeped in centuries of history, between the medieval ramparts, the Irancy wine-growing hillsides, and the slow waters of the Yonne.