Les Médiévales de Tonnerre

ℹ️ Festival inactive since 2023. The Les Médiévales de Tonnerre association suspended its activities during its general assembly on November 7, 2023. No editions have taken place since, and the Chablis-Tonnerrois tourist office confirms that no new events are currently planned.

Les Médiévales de Tonnerre: Fifteen years of history in the heart of Burgundy

From 2008 to 2023, every two years in September, the town of Tonnerre (Yonne) was transported back to the Middle Ages for a weekend. Les Médiévales de Tonnerre became a must-see event for history buffs and reenactment enthusiasts in Burgundy, drawing thousands of visitors to its remarkable heritage sites.

An authentic medieval backdrop

Tonnerre provided the perfect setting for this journey into the past. The Hôtel-Dieu, built in the 13th century by Marguerite of Burgundy, served as the centerpiece of the event. Its Gothic halls hosted a gourmet medieval banquet, while the surrounding area was adorned with period banners and armor. The town's main streets, the Place Marguerite-de-Bourgogne and the Pâtis, were brought to life by characters in period costume: knights, soldiers, peasants, monks, musicians, washerwomen, and merchants.

A medieval market and entertainment

The festival program offered a total immersion into medieval life: a market featuring artisans, potters, blacksmiths, illuminators, and curiosity merchants; equestrian shows and jousting in the main square; musical performances by troupes of troubadours, minstrels, and jesters; jugglers and fire-breathers; traditional games for children; craft demonstrations (stone carving, glassblowing, weaving); and a grand medieval banquet in the Hôtel-Dieu hall, available by reservation.

An event supported by the association and the town

Organized by the Les Médiévales de Tonnerre association, these festivities benefited for fifteen years from the support of the town and the Le Tonnerrois en Bourgogne community of communes, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and hosting troupes from all over France and occasionally Europe. The event frequently attracted over 10,000 visitors over the weekend.

Tonnerre, a town of history and heritage

The town of Tonnerre itself is a site of remarkable heritage. Its Hôtel-Dieu, a listed Historic Monument, is one of the finest examples of medieval hospital architecture in France. The town is also known for its vineyards (AOC Épineuil), its Fosse Dionne—a vauclusian spring with deep blue waters—and its rich historical past linked to the Dukes of Burgundy.