La chambre de commerce de Beaune : un décor iconique de la Bourgogne viticole

Abstract

During the nineteenth century, as the wines of Burgundy were trying to establish their reputation for excellence, the Beaune chamber of commerce and industry (CCI) participated in the 1889 Paris world fair in order to give greater visibility to this important economic activity of the region. The original décor designed on this occasion was a buffet presenting the different wine-growing territories of Burgundy and their appellations. The main piece of this buffet was a relief map of the wine-growing slopes. This buffet piece of furniture was added to and improved upon after the Paris world fair and installed permanently in the new premises of the Beaune chamber of commerce. The decoration of these premises was total and comprised wooden paneling, doors and windows with their metallic fixtures, murals, stained-glass windows, lamps and the furniture. The chamber of commerce commissioned the decoration from its treasurer Arthur Montoy, who was also an administrator of the Hospices de Beaune but above all a trained artist. The recent discovery of his drawings shows how thoroughly he was involved in the design of every element of the decorative ensemble, however modest. This decor is still intact and is a remarkable and emblematic illustration of the wine-growing region and its soils and landscapes, its ‘terroirs’. It already seems to be an argument for what, one hundred years later, was to constitute the justification for the inscription on UNESCO’s list of world heritage of ‘The climates, terroirs of Burgundy’.

Keywords

• Burgundy
• Côte d’Or
• Beaune
• chamber of commerce
• Arthur Montoy
• wine-growing