Léaz

Léaz is a municipality with 577 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the French department of Ain ​​, in the Rhône -Alpes.

Geography

Léaz is located on 480 m above sea level. M., five kilometers east of Bellegarde- sur -Valserine and about 24 km west- southwest of the City of Geneva (air line). The farming village extends in the Rhône valley on a ridge about 150 feet above the river, at the western entrance to the Défilé de l' Ecluse, at the southern foot of the Jura mountain Grand Cret d' Eau.

The area of ​​the 11:40 -square-kilometer municipal area includes a portion of the Rhone Valley. The area is characterized by deeply incised into the surrounding Rhone, which forms the eastern and southern boundary. From the river, the community area extends to the northwest on the ridge of Léaz. This rises to the north rapidly to the crest of the Grand Cret d' Eau at, on the southern slopes of 1507 m above sea level. M. the highest elevation of Léaz is achieved. In geological terms this structure forms a ridge anticline consisting of sediments of the upper Jurassic period. By the Rhone breakdown of the Défilé de l' Ecluse the Grand Cret d' Eau is separated from its southern continuation, the Montagne de Vuache. The high Jura belonging to the municipality of Léaz is part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut -Jura and the nature reserve Haute Chaîne du Jura.

To Léaz addition to the actual site includes various hamlets and farmhouses, including:

• Grésin (480 m above sea level. M. ) on a south-facing slope above the Rhône valley
• Longeray (480 m above sea level. M. ) at the foot of the Grand Cret d' Eau at the western entrance to the Défilé de l' Ecluse

Neighboring communities of Léaz are Collonges in the north, Chevrier and Clara Fond- Arcine in the east, Éloise in the south and Bellegarde- sur -Valserine and Lancrans in the West.

History

At the site of the present Léaz was already at a priory in 1123, which belonged to the Cluniazenserpriorates in Payerne. Soon after, next to a castle was built, which also Payerne shelter. In the 13th century, the strategic importance of the area increased at Rhonedurchbruchstal because it was at the limit of the dominions of the Counts of Savoy, Count of Geneva and the Pays de Gex. In 1272 Léonète founded by Gex the borough Léaz and endowed him with certain rights of freedom.

Thus Léaz appears for the first time in 1272 in the records under the name Leya. Over time, the spelling on Laya ( 1285), Aya ( 1441 ), Lya, Lyaz ( 1553) and Leal (1650) transformed to the present name Léaz occupied writing since 1850. The name goes back to the Old French word laye, denoting a newly created path in the forest.

Already in 1290 Léaz passed into the hands of Amadeus V of Savoy. The lord of the castle of Léaz was responsible for the protection and defense of Fort de La cluse in the transverse valley of the Rhone. From 1536 to 1564 the fort belonged to the people of Berne, then to 1590 the Savoy before it came to Geneva. After the Treaty of Lyon of the village and the fort in 1601 arrived finally to France. During the Napoleonic Wars, the fort was destroyed in 1815 by Austrian troops and then built up to 1830 again.

Attractions

The village church of Léaz was built in 1675 in the late Gothic style. On a promontory overlooking the Rhone are the ruins of posts originating from the 13th century castle of Léaz. At the narrowest point of the Rhone klusartigen breakthrough, which forms a natural landmark, the Fort de l' Ecluse rises. The lower fort ( Fort d' en Bas ) goes back to a fortification from the 13th century, which was in the course of time several times destroyed and rebuilt reinforced so in the 16th and 17th century and from 1821 to 1830. , The upper Fort (Fort d' en Haut ) received its present form also in the between 1820 and 1840. Via the Rhône leads the Viaduc de Longeray, an arch bridge of the railway line from Bellegarde -sur -Valserine to Annemasse.

Population

With 577 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Léaz one of the small communities of the department of Ain. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century, population growth was recorded especially at the beginning of the 1970s again. Since then, the population remains at a relatively constant level.

Economy and infrastructure

Léaz was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by farming village. Today, there are some establishments of local small businesses. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many working population commuters who engage in the larger towns in the area, mainly in Bellegarde -sur -Valserine their work.

The village has a good infrastructure. It lies on the main road N206 that runs from Bellegarde- sur -Valserine to Saint -Julien -en- Genevois. The nearest links to the A40 motorway is located at a distance of about ten kilometers. The area is crossed by the railway line Geneva -Lyon and the sidelines Bellegarde- Annemasse, but has no Léaz station; the nearest station is Bellegarde- sur -Valserine.