Saint-Firmin: Menhir, Church and Walking Trail

Saint-Firmin offers two distinct areas of interest to consider when planning your trip: evidence of the town’s history and the À travers bois et bocages walking trail. Historical points of interest include the Menhir of Caillots, the Pierre de Champiteau and the church with its furnishings. The trail’s distance, approximate duration and difficulty level are provided. This lets you weigh cultural history and a longer hike as different focuses for your stay.

Menhir and Pierre de Champiteau

The Menhir of Caillots stands beside the former Roman road from Autun to Tournus, which passed through Saint-Sernin-du-Bois. Its history also includes a precisely dated re-erection: it was raised again in March 1984. The road places the stone along the route of a former connection, while the year marks a specific, more recent chapter in its history.

To find the menhir: northwest of the hamlet of Grand Croix, take the first road on the right; the stone stands 250 metres before the houses. Check these directions locally before your visit.

Another stone monument is the Pierre de Champiteau: a granite slab set into the ground behind the buildings of a farm. Justice was once administered beside it. This makes it clearly different from the upright menhir in both form and traditional function. Its historical names also offer a glimpse of how its name changed over time: it was recorded as Grande Bourne de Champital in 1409 and as Grande Bonde in 1525.

Church and religious art

The church of Saint-Firmin was originally dedicated to Saint Martin. It received its current name in the 15th century, when the relics of Saint Firmin were transferred to the village church. Its building history includes other dated changes: in 1767, it underwent extensive restoration thanks to the last prior, J. B. Augustin de Salignac-Fénelon. It was remodelled in the mid-19th century; in 1868, a north side chapel and a sacristy on the axis of the sanctuary were added.

The church’s furnishings include a 15th-century statue of Saint Firmin. It is made of carved, polychrome-painted wood and was listed as a protected movable cultural object on 14 October 1996. The history of the church and that of the statue concern different aspects: the building’s dedication and structural changes on the one hand, and an individual work of art on the other.

Hiking and landscape

The À travers bois et bocages walking trail is 12.0 kilometres long; it takes around 3 hours and 30 minutes and is rated moderate. The route passes through forests and hedgerow landscapes, as well as along the Allée des Chevaux through the Rinchis forest. Together, the distance, approximate duration and difficulty rating give you a concrete basis for assessing the time required and the demands of the hike. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The views from the hills above Saint-Firmin, where you can watch sunsets over the Mesvrin, are another distinctive feature of the landscape. This viewpoint offers a different focus from the described trail route. When planning your trip, you can choose between a named route through forests and hedgerow landscapes and views of the evening sky over the Mesvrin.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Amour-Bellevue, Antully, Givry, Blanzy, Vitry-En-Charollais, Sailly, Varennes-sous-Dun, Poisson.

For the broader travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.