ALSACE - France 2014 - page 1440

The19th-century fountain sportsastatue ofSt.LeoIX—theonlyAlsatian pope.Leo
was born, likely in this castle, in 1002. A bishop at 24, he was famed for his pastoral qual-
ities, tending the sick and poor, and working to reform the Church (which had grown cor-
rupt). Made pope in 1048, Leo's pontificate lasted just five years.
Your walk is over. Enjoy sampling the shops, cafés, and fruits of the local vine.
Sights in Eguisheim
Eguisheim Castle and Chapel of St. Leo IX
Fronting the main square, the town castle has an octagonal plan from the 13th century.
There's been some kind of castle here for a thousand years—the first was the fortress of
a local duke. After the French Revolution, the castle was state-owned and, as the state so
often did during that no-nonsense age, it was sold and dismantled. Later, a local bishop
purchased it with the intention of honoring his hometown saint. Rather than rebuild the
castle keep, he built a chapel dedicated to St. Leo in the Neo-Romanesque style popular in
19thcentury.Consecratedin1894,it'soflittlehistoricimportance.Butit'sbeautifulinside
and worth a peek to see how a Romanesque church may have been painted.
As you approach the church, you're welcomed by a statue of Pope Leo IX above the
doorway—note the lions supporting him (“Leo” means lion). Inside, the paintings, stained
glass, and carvings are all in the Romanesque Revival style. After the paganism of the
French Revolution, romantics in the late 1800s used this style to signal a spiritual reviv-
al—a new golden age of Christianity.
Linger a while to soak it all in. To the right of the altar is a reliquary with a piece
of Leo's jaw. To the left is a statue of Leo. And flanking the altar, two fine stained-glass
angels majestically spread their wings (drop any coin into the €0.50 box for light).
Wine-Tasting
Don't leave without visiting one of Eguisheim's countless cozy wineries. The ambience
and quality of wines at Emile Beyer is great. Enter through their Old World courtyard on
Cours Unterlinden (one block from the TI) to find a welcoming counter and ample tables.
Climb down into their aromatic cellar (from 1583), crammed with old wood vats. They're
known for their Rieslings, but all their wines are worth a taste (“free” tasting if you intend
to buy a bottle or wines by the glass, daily in summer 10:00-19:00, shorter hours off-sea-
son, 7 Place du Château St. Léon IX, tel. [phone]).