Alphonse de Lamartine and François Dumont in Bussières (Saône-et-Loire (71))

L'Église de la Conversion-de-Saint-Paul in Bussières. François Dumont (1767-1832) was curé of Bussières and Milly for forty years and was a friend of Alphonse de Lamartine who was inspired by him and based Joselyn – in one of his most famous poems of the same name – on Dumont.

Lamartine erected this stone by the sepulchre of Dumont at the side of the church in Bussières.

This plaque opposite the chancel very briefly mentions the story of the very long narrative poem Jocelyn, of how a young female aristocrat at the time of the Revolution disguises herself as an adolescent male and disturbs the heart of the priest.

The former rectory where Abbé Dumont was born, lived and died, and whom Lamartine immortalised in Jocelyn.

Château de Pierreclos, which is now a hotel, and has some Lamartinian connections. But I won't go into those now as this post is supposed to be about Bussières.

Finally, I couldn't resist this shot of the Rue des Roses Trémières (hollyhocks) in Bussières. Yes indeed: OK, I have particularly fond memories of hollyhocks.