The Rock of Vergisson is a limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

 peak in Saône-et-Loire

Saône-et-Loire

Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...

, France.

Geography

The Rock of Vergisson is a sharp escarpment located in the commune of Vergisson

Vergisson

Vergisson is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-Wine:The vineyards of Vergisson form part of the appellation d'origine contrôlée Pouilly-Fuissé.-References:*...

 in Saône-et-Loire

Saône-et-Loire

Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...

, in the south of Bourgogne

Bourgogne

Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...

. It is less than 2 km as the crow flies from the Rock of Solutré

Rock of Solutré

The Rock of Solutré , is a limestone escarpment west of Mâcon overlooking the commune of Solutré-Pouilly and an iconic site of the Saône-et-Loire, in the south of the Bourgogne...

. It is 485 metres high, about 8 metres shorter than its neighbour.

Geology and History

The Rock of Vergisson has the same geological origins as the Rock of Solutré: a coral

Coral

Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...

 plateau from the Mesozoic era

Mesozoic

The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...

, raised and tilted from the east during the Tertiary era, and exposed by differential erosion

Erosion

Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...

.

During prehistoric times

Prehistory

Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...

, the rock was a site of habitation, while the neighboring Rock of Solutré was a hunting

Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 site.

Viticulture

Vineyard

Vineyard

A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...

s enclosed by dry stone walls (murgers) can be found on the slopes of the rock, producing wines of the Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé

Pouilly-Fuissé is an appellation for white wine in the Mâconnais subregion Burgundy in central France, located in the communes of Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson and Chaintré...

 and Mâcon-Vergisson denominations.

Environmental protection

The area including the Rocks of Solutré and Vergisson and Mont Pouilly has been classified as a site naturel et rural since 1955.

Sport

The limestone cliffs of the rocks are, along with the cliff at Remigny

Remigny, Saône-et-Loire

Remigny is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-Wine:There are vineyards within the commune of Remigny which are part of the appellations Chassagne-Montrachet and Santeny, which are named after two neighbouring communes. -References:*...

, one of the two most important sights for climbing in the departement, with more than 97 identified routes. Every year, the Randonnée des deux Roches (walk of the two rocks) takes place, which runs from Solutré to Vergisson. In 1992, François Mitterrand

François Mitterrand

François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...

 decided to climb the Rock of Vergisson to escape from journalists.

The rocks of Solutré and Vergisson were described by Alphonse de Lamartine

Alphonse de Lamartine

Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic.-Career:...

as deux navires pétrifiés surplombant une mer de vignes (two ships overlooking a sea of vineyards).