As soon as you enter the old town, the tower of the Saint-Martin collegiate church attracts your gaze. Along its 55 meters, your eyes linger on the delicate stone lace, the central rose window and the ballet of gargoyles, which have defied time since the end of the 15th century.
At the foot of the building, the old town, a harmonious architectural ensemble from the 15th to the 20th century, is a protected area.
In the beneficial shade of the alleys, a thousand curiosities charm the eye: half-timbered houses in ocher colours, mascarons animating the facades, wrought iron signs... and what about this surprising "Saint Accroupi" seeming to spring up at the corner of the rue de la Monnaie and rue de la Fontaine des Mûres?
I'm going to tell you a secret: a very long time ago, the statues of Clamecy were allowed to walk around at night. But on one condition, they had to be back before the 12th stroke of midnight rang out from the tower of the Saint-Martin collegiate church. One night, the Saint-Accroupi was seized with a "pressing desire", he did not have time to return and was then imprisoned in the corner of his house, called today "the Saint-Accroupi".
