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Bourgogne (Region, France)

Administrative data
Flag of the Regional Council

See also:

Administrative data

Departments: Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne
Bordering Regions: Auvergne, Centre, Champagne-Ardennes, Franche-Comté, Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes
Traditional provinces: Bourgogne, Champagne, Nivernais, Orléanais

Area: 31,582 km²Population (1995): 1,623,900 inhabitants
Regional prefecture: Dijon

Flag of the Regional Council

1982

Flag of the Regional Council, 1982 - Image by Jaume Ollé, 23 November 1996

1983

Flag of the Regional Council, 1983 - Image by Jaume Ollé, 23 November 1996

1984 first flag

Flag of the Regional Council, 1984 - Image by Jaume Ollé, 23 November 1996

The logo of the Regional Council shows in its left part an "adaptation" (same design but colour changed) of the traditional banner of arms of Burgundy, and on its right part a big blue "B" letter.
The "B" stands for the region's name but is also a reference to one of the most famous Burgundians, Sr. Bernard of Clairvaux. The "B" shown on the logo was the first letter of his signature.

Bernard of Clairvaux (Fontaine-les-Dijon 1090 - Clairvaux 1153) joined the abbey of Cîteaux as a monk in 1112. In 1098, Abbot Robert of Molesme founded there the Cistercian order, independent of the Cluny order. At that time, the powerful abbey of Cluny ruled an economical empire stretching out all over western Europe. Bernard decided to carry on Robert de Molesme's reform and advocated for a strict implementation of St. Benedict's rule, abolishing the tithe and other taxes that had made the fortune of Cluny. With a few monks, he settled in a very isolated, poor place named Clairvaux in 1115. In spite of harsh life conditions and a rule based on austerity and labour, Clairvaux attracted a lot of monks and the daughter abbey of Trois-Fontaines was founded in 1121 in Champagne. When Bernard died, the Abbey of Cîteaux had 700 monks and more than 350 abbeys had joined the Cistercian order. The order was organized in a hierarchical network dominated by the "Elder Daughters" of Cîteaux, Clairvaux, Pontigny, La Ferté and Morimond.
Although he had initially decided to live in an isolated place and to spend his time in prayer and labour, Bernard quickly became one of the most famous men of his times. A famous erudite, theologian, philosoph, and political councillor of Kings and Popes, Bernard preached the Second Crusade in 1147 in Vézelay on behalf of Pope Eugene III. Bernard's philosophy was characterized by mysticism, opposing to Abélard's rationalism. As a theologian, he was one of the founders of the devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and remained famous for his mystical interpretation of the Song of Songs (also a masterpeice of French poetry).
The Cistercian church architecture is characterized by a very simple plan, which was spread all over Europe with very few variations. Any kind of decoration was forbidden, giving a very strong impression of austerity. The abbey church usually has a flat chevet and no bell tower, to prevent the bells disturbing silence and meditation. The best example of Cistercian architecture is the abbey of Fontenay, registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, located in Burgundy. Clairvaux was transformed into a jailhouse in 1808 while Cîteaux is stil inhabited by Cistercian monks.

Ivan Sache, 14 December 2001

1984 modified flag

Flag of the Regional Council, 1984 modified - Image by Jaume Ollé, 23 November 1996

A few weeks after the adoption of the 1984 design, small modifications were introduced in the red-yellow bands and in the letter "B".

Jaume Ollé, 23 November 1996