Migennes is a French commune located in Yonne, the northernmost department of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. Its inhabitants are called the Migennois.
Located in the heart of Yonne, Migennes is 21 km from
Auxerre, 40 km from Sens, 66 km from Troyes and 75 km from
Montargis. It is located almost equidistant between Paris (160 km)
and Dijon (169 km).
Capital of the canton of Migennes, it has
a little over 7,000 inhabitants. It is the fourth city of the Yonne
in terms of population (behind Auxerre, Sens, Joigny). It is part of
the urban area of Migennes which has 11,887 inhabitants.
It
is also the center town of the Communauté de Communes de
l'Agglomération Migennoise (CCAM), which brings together 8
municipalities and nearly 15,000 inhabitants.
Its main
districts are: the Cités de l'Armançon, Ville Haute (or Mignottes),
Vieux-Migennes and Cœur de Ville.
The town is located at the
confluence of the rivers of Armançon and Yonne. It is the starting
point of the Burgundy Canal which ends its course in
Saint-Jean-de-Losne, 242 km away.
Migennes is decorated by
the committee of towns and villages in bloom to the tune of three
flowers.
Road transport
The City is
crossed right through by the Departmental Road 943 (westbound:
Laroche-Saint-Cydroine - Joigny - Paris and eastbound:
Brienon-sur-Armançon - Saint-Florentin - Troyes).
It is
located about 3 km from the Departmental Route 606 and about 20 km
from the A6 motorway (Paris-Lyon).
Rail transport
The town
hosts the Laroche-Migennes station on its territory (in the city
center).
It connects the Parisian stations of Bercy and Lyon
(in respectively 1h25 and 1h35 or 1h50). Timing is normally provided
every hour. To go to Dijon, Paris or Lyon, it is a must for
passengers coming from Auxerre (from which it is about ten minutes
away by TER). It also connects Avallon and Clamecy. Laroche-Migennes
station is also a freight station. Three times a year, the Migennois
Tourist Office organizes guided tours of the Laroche-Migennes
railway site for groups.
River transport and goods
Migennes has a river port, managed by a private company, the Boat,
from which it is possible to rent pleasure boats to navigate in
particular on the Burgundy Canal. The Gravières lock is located on
the municipal territory.
The port is used for the transport
of goods since it is located half an hour from the port of Gron.
Other means of transport
There is an inter-district shuttle
in Migennes.
Branches-Auxerre Airport is approximately 18 km
away.
Prehistoric and Ancient Origins
The history of Migennes, a commune
in the Yonne department of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central
France, dates back to prehistoric times. Archaeological evidence
indicates human occupation during the Bronze Age, around the 14th
century BC, with discoveries including burials from this period.
Excavations in 2004 further revealed traces of habitation from this era.
During the Gallo-Roman period, the area was home to several villae
(rural estates), as confirmed by aerial photography and the unearthing
of mosaics and other artifacts. The settlement was known as Mitigana, a
name derived from Latin meaning "middle of the marshes," reflecting its
location at the confluence of rivers like the Yonne, Armançon, and
Serein, which likely created a marshy environment in antiquity.
Gallo-Roman remains, including these villas, attest to the region's
agricultural and economic activity under Roman rule, highlighting
Migennes' early role in local trade and settlement.
Medieval and
Feudal Period
In the medieval era, Migennes fell under the
jurisdiction of the County of Sens, a significant regional power in what
is now north-central France. As the County of Sens fragmented over time,
Migennes became affiliated with the County of Joigny, integrating it
into the feudal structures of Burgundy. This period saw the area
primarily as a rural outpost, with limited documented events, but its
position near major rivers would have supported basic agriculture and
local commerce. Nearby towns like Sens, founded in the 12th century for
defensive purposes against Champagne, underscore the strategic
importance of the Yonne valley during this time, though Migennes itself
remained a smaller entity.
The Age of Canals: 18th and 19th
Centuries
The 18th and 19th centuries marked a transformative phase
for Migennes with the construction of the Burgundy Canal (Canal de
Bourgogne), which significantly elevated its status as a transportation
hub. The canal, a 242 km waterway linking the Yonne River at Migennes to
the Saône River at Saint-Jean-de-Losne, was conceived as early as 1605
under Henry IV but construction only began in 1775 during the reign of
Louis XV. Funding was divided between the French crown for the Yonne
section and the Estates of Burgundy for the Saône side. Work was
interrupted by the French Revolution from 1790 to 1795, resuming in 1808
under Napoleon Bonaparte, with the Dijon–Saône section opening that
year. The full canal was completed in 1832 after the construction of a
3.3 km tunnel at Pouilly-en-Auxois (1826–1832) and supporting reservoirs
by 1840. Originally featuring 189 locks (later reduced to 191 through
modifications, including at Migennes where a double staircase lock was
altered into a single deeper one), the canal facilitated the transport
of goods like firewood from the Morvan region and connected the English
Channel to the Mediterranean via the Seine and Rhône rivers.
For
Migennes specifically, the canal's northern terminus created a large
basin at the junction with the Yonne River, turning the town into a
vital link for trade and travel across France. This infrastructure
greatly altered the local landscape and economy, boosting connectivity
and commerce, though it was not initially designed as a through route
but as a feeder for resources. Commercial traffic peaked at 43.5 million
tonnes annually by 1850, but began declining with the advent of
railways, such as the Paris–Marseille line completed between 1847 and
1852.
Railway Era and Modern Development: 19th to 20th Centuries
The rise of railways in the 19th century further solidified Migennes'
role as a transport nexus, somewhat overshadowing the canal. The
Laroche-Migennes railway station, established in 1918, became a
prominent hub due to its equidistant position between Paris and Dijon,
ideal for locomotive exchanges during the steam era. It handled
international trains connecting to southern France, the Alps, and Italy,
and was a mandatory stop for routes from Auxerre to major cities like
Paris, Dijon, and Lyon. From 1999 to 2011, it was part of the TGV Yonne
Méditerranée line linking Melun to Marseille. Today, it serves TER
regional trains and functions as a freight yard. The station's name
gained cultural fame, even being satirized in a chanson by Jean Raymond.
Anthropologist Marc Abélès highlighted its symbolic role as a "passage
point" in his 1989 work Jours Tranquilles en 89.
The canal's locks
were enlarged to Freycinet standards between 1879 and 1882 to
accommodate larger vessels, but railway competition ultimately reduced
its commercial viability. By the 20th century, Migennes had evolved from
a marshy settlement into an industrial and logistical center, though it
retained its small-town character.
Contemporary Migennes
In
modern times, Migennes remains a key junction at the meeting of the
Armançon, Yonne, and Serein rivers, with the Burgundy Canal now
primarily used for recreational boating, private vessels, hire craft,
and hotel barges rather than commerce. The town is known for its
historical Gallo-Roman heritage and events like the "Migennes Collector"
show, which celebrates collectibles and reflects a vibrant community
life. With a population of around 7,000, it continues to benefit from
its transport legacy while preserving traces of its ancient past through
archaeological sites and museums in the region. No major notable figures
are prominently tied to Migennes in historical records, but its
development has been shaped by broader French figures like Napoleon and
regional estates. Overall, Migennes exemplifies how infrastructure
projects have redefined rural French communes over centuries.