Mercey-le-Grand
Mercey -le- Grand is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.
Geography
Mercey -le- Grand is located at 294 m, about 22 km west of the city of Besançon (air line). The village stretches northwest of Saint -Vit on a plateau in the gently undulating countryside between the rivers of Doubs in the south and Ognon ( in the north).
The area of 6.56 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the north Doubstals. Passing the part with arable and meadow land, partly with forest landscape shows only slight differences in relief. About the plateau the watershed between the Doubs and Ognon runs. With 302 m is reached on the hill east of the village is the highest elevation of Mercey -le -Grand. In the south are the wooded areas of the Bois and Bois des Saucy Groseillers. To the east, the municipality's area extends into the headwaters of the Ruisseau du Breuil ( left tributary of the Ognon ).
At Mercey -le- Grand are the place Cottier (260 m) in the headwaters of the Ruisseau du Breuil and some individual farms. Neighboring communities of Mercey -le- Grand are Étrabonne and Lanterne - Vertière in the north, Ferrieres -les -Bois and Berthelange in the east, Evans and Le Petit- Mercey in the south and Romain in the West.
History
Several findings indicate that the municipality of Mercey -le- Grand was already inhabited in Gallo- Roman times. The place is first mentioned in 967 under the name Marciaco. From the 10th century Mercey center was a parish. It was on the one hand to the cathedral chapter of Besançon, on the other hand also had the rule Étrabonne goods ownership in the municipal area. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the village with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. By the end of the 19th century the town was known as Le Grand- Mercey. To a field change occurred in 1973, when the previously independent community Cottier was merged with Mercey -le -Grand.
Attractions
The church of Saint -Martin dates back to the 12th century and was restored several times in the course of time and reshaped (last time in the 18th century). From the 13th century the bell tower dates. The choir room opens to two side chapels (17th century). The church has a richly appointed interior.
Population
With 491 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Mercey -le- Grand is one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1886 252 persons were still counted ), a continuous population growth was recorded since the early 1970s. Since then, the population has about doubled.
Economy and infrastructure
Mercey -le- Grand was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who engage in the agglomeration Besançon their work.
The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road that leads from Saint -Vit by Taxenne. The nearest links to the A36 motorway is located at a distance of about 8 km. Further road links exist with Gendrey, Étrabonne, Lantenne - Vertière and Le Petit- Mercey.