Zion Hill

ccps

Sion Vaudémont Hill, a geological mound on the Moselle coast, offers exceptional views of the Saintes landscapes, all the way to the Vosges ridges. Its geographical location has ensured that it has played a leading strategic role since prehistoric times. One of the oldest settlements in France was established on the site of Sion nearly 3000 years ago, which was followed by a Celtic fortified site, then a Gallo-Roman sanctuary. Sion established itself as a Christian site dedicated to the Virgin Mary from the XNUMXth century onward. With its convent and basilica, it became a major pilgrimage site. The village of Vaudémont, a fortified town and capital of an independent county since the Middle Ages, bears witness to its importance with the remains of its ramparts and the Brunehault Tower. An "inspired hill" dear to Maurice Barrès, it is also a symbolic site of the reunification of Alsace-Lorraine.