Six years of excavations reveal secrets of a 13th-century leper colony in Burgundy

On April 30, 2026, results from six years of archaeological digs near Fleurey-sur-Ouche, located 15 km from Dijon, were revealed by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap). This initiative, which received funding from DRAC Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and the Communauté de Communes Ouche et Montagne, was spearheaded by Gaëlle Pertuisot of Université Bourgogne Europe. Its goal was to explore medieval settlement patterns and locate a leper colony from the 15th century. The excavations, which spanned from the late 13th to the 15th centuries, uncovered enclosure walls and valuable artifacts, suggesting a community of significant social standing. Historian François-Olivier Touati remarked on the mixed religious groups within leper colonies. The site will be accessible to the public starting June 13, 2026, coinciding with European Archaeology Days.