[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Hero” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(0,0,0,0.5)” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” background_color_gradient_direction=”245deg” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/www.saintemilion-unesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Saint-Hippolyte.jpg” custom_padding=”260px||260px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”3.25″ width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”100%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”70px|0px|70px|0px|true|false” make_fullwidth=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_position=”top_left” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_position=”top_left” custom_padding=”|10%||10%” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.2″ title_font=”Oswald|700||on|||||” title_text_align=”left” title_text_color=”#ffffff” title_font_size=”60px” title_line_height=”1.3em” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_divider color=”#ed4441″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”3px” disabled_on=”on|on|off%22″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ max_width=”150px” height=”false” custom_margin=”30px|||” animation_direction=”top” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” admin_label=”Our Guides” _builder_version=”3.22″ custom_padding=”110px||0||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”60px||60px|” custom_padding_phone=”” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”0|0px|60px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ text_font=”Roboto||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.9em” global_colors_info=”{}”]The Ferrand plateau is home to one of the most curious sites in the Jurisdiction. It recalls the ancestral bond which links the inhabitants of Saint-Emilion to the limestone rock which shaped the undulating landscape.<\/p>\n
Isolated at the top of the plateau, while the town developed further down the hillside, the modest parish church of Saint-Hippolyte was originally associated with the nearby Ch\u00e2teau de Ferrand, the seat of the nobles of \u201cSaint-Poly\u201d. In around 1670, one of them, Elie de B\u00e9toulaud (1637-1709), had an enigmatic network of galleries and underground halls carved out of the stone, stretching over more than 100 metres along the hill<\/strong>. Contrary to certain legends, this was no quarry or underground refuge or hermitage\u2026 It is in fact a remarkable d\u00e9cor, the product of the imagination of a man at the end of the 17th<\/sup><\/span> century<\/strong>\u2026 for two reasons\u2026<\/p>\n Eli de B\u00e9toulaud designed these caves partly as \u201ceternal monuments to the glory of King Louis the Great\u201d<\/em> (Louis XIV) according to the words he used in his will, and partly as a place dedicated to \u201cthe muses and to the pursuit of leisure\u201d<\/em>. Elie was a man of letters and a poet and reproduced here a full-scale incarnation of the setting of a novel, l\u2019Astr\u00e9e<\/em> by Honor\u00e9 d\u2019Urf\u00e9, which at that time fascinated all literary-minded aristocrats. Above this stone labyrinth, a leafy garden stretched out over the plateau up to the ch\u00e2teau and a fountain completed the picture down the hill form the caves.<\/strong><\/p>\n Although they are both impressive and enchanting, the caves we can see today are but a pale reflection, given over to nature, of the backdrop designed by Elie de B\u00e9toulaud to bring to life certain passages of l\u2019Astr\u00e9e<\/em>. He himself described the caves as decorated with gold, with silver seashells, marble, mother-of-pearl etc. The man alcoves were used to display busts of ancient heroes and gods, along with a bust of Louis XIV. Orange trees, jasmines, oleanders and other exotic flowers completed the d\u00e9cor and were moved for shelter during the winter to the great gallery which fills the lower third of the cliff.<\/p>\n Starting out at the church of Saint-Hippolyte, visitors are invited to follow an initiatory pathway to explore the Ferrand caves and experience l\u2019Astr\u00e9e<\/em>![\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_audio audio=”https:\/\/www.saintemilion-unesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/04-The-cave-of-Ferrans.mp3″ title=”The Ferrand caves” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#e23b6d” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_audio][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ text_text_color=”#1a1a1a” header_font=”Oswald|700||on|||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”60″ header_line_height=”1.3em” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#ed4441″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”3″ _builder_version=”3.17.2″ max_width=”149px” module_alignment=”center” height=”false” custom_margin=”30px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.saintemilion-unesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/S60C-618101714520-2.jpg” title_text=”S60C-618101714520 2″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.saintemilion-unesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/S60C-618101714520-4.jpg” title_text=”S60C-618101714520 4″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.saintemilion-unesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/4-Saint-Hyppolyte-@Franck-Haudiquert.jpg” title_text=”4-Saint Hyppolyte-@Franck Haudiquert” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nFind out more<\/h1>\n
View the reading tables on the Jurisdiction map :<\/h2>\n