Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire
7Km away from Sully. It is said that the monastery of Fleury-St Benoit has been founded in a meeting point of the druids in Carnutes Country, a place considered by the Gallic as the center of Gaul. This place had been given to the Church by the Lord of Fleury and his wife Lengilde.
This foundation by Saint Léodebal would have been made in 640. In 660, a priest from Fleury brought back Saint Benoît relics. They previously were in a building of Monte Cassine Abbey in Italy that was destroyed by the Lombards.
The Fleury Saint Benoît Abbey then became an important place of pilgrimage.
The Abbey shows an imposing porch tower, unique by her symbolism inspired by the Apocalypse.
She has twelve doors : 3 doors that will not close at each cardinal point, because in this place there is no day nor night...
Official website of the Abbey : http://www.abbaye-fleury.com
A partner website is dedicated to the monastery and the priest community that lives there : http://monsite.orange.fr/abbaye-st-benoit
Germigny-des-Prés
At 15km away from Sully, one of the oldest churches in France. You’ll find there a IXth century mosaic unique in Europe, featuring the Ark of the Covenant.
Théodulf, one of Charlemagne’s missi dominici, bishop of Orléans and priest of Fleury-St Benoit Abbey had built this chapel covered with domes and cradles in 806.
The mosaic (discovered and restored in the middle of the 19th century) of the east apse is of Byzantine influence.
Briare-le-Canal
35km away from Sully. The canal-bridge is one of the most prestigious sites of the river heritage in France. To avoid the chances of the navigation on the Loire, the canal-bridge was built in 1890 by the Eiffel company. Intended to cross the river, this work of engineering is the longest of the world, 663 metres for a width of 11m50 and 11m tall, but also the most elegant with its decorated pilasters and its 72 lampposts in the taste of the end of the XIXth.
Very famous all over the world, this very particular site has over 300,000 visitors a year.
Moulin de Guilly
13km away from Sully. This pivot-mill was the original settlement, to Châteauneuf-sur-Loire in the 1700’s.
In 1850 Mr. Gautier de Guilly bought it and in 1861 he excavated the mill and moved it to Guilly
Informations at the Mairie (Town Hall) : 02.38.58.03.06 or M. Simon : 02.38.58.03.32