Vercel-Villedieu-le-Camp

Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté. It is the capital of the canton Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp in the arrondissement of Pontarlier.

Geography

Vercel - Villedieu -le- Camp is located on 658 m above sea level, 5 km north-east of Valdahon and about 29 km east of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the Jura, on the eastern edge of the vast plateau of Valdahon, called the first plateau of the Jura, at the foot of Mont de Goux.

The area of ​​29.96 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The main part of the area is occupied by only weakly in relief plateau Valdahon, the average is 620 m and rises slightly towards the east. It is partly consisted of arable and meadow land, partly by forest. With the exception of some short rivulets, the plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. Near the village there are extensive forests Forêt du Chanois and Les Anglars. The slightly undulating western part of the municipality (the entire area of ​​the former Villedieu -le-Camp ) is part of the military training area Valdahon, which occupies an area of ​​35 km ² in total.

To the east, the municipality's area extends over a gently rising slope on the broad and predominantly forested ridge of the Mont de Goux. This amount represents an elongated ridge that is oriented southwest-northeast direction. It separates the plateau from the eastern basin of Valdahon Avoudrey. On the Mont de Goux the highest elevation of Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp is achieved with 827 m.

To Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp include the capital Vercel and various hamlets and isolated farms, including:

• Goux ( 655 m) on the plateau on the southern outskirts of the village, at the foot of Mont de Goux
• Les Granges- Rouges ( 642 m) on the plateau south of the Forêt du Chanois
• Les Granges- Noires (640 m) on the plateau of Valdahon

Neighboring communities of Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp are Chaux -lès- Passavant, Belmont, Épenouse and Eysson in the north, Grand Fontaine- sur -Creuse and Longechaux in the east, Avoudrey, Épenoy, Adam -lès -Vercel and Chevigney- lès -Vercel in south and Valdahon, Verrières -du -Gros Bois and Gonsans in the West.

History

Several findings indicate that the municipality of Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp was already inhabited in Gallo- Roman times. The Vercel castle is first mentioned in the 11th century. In addition to the then existing as a timber castle quickly developed a settlement that established itself as a fortified borough in the Middle Ages. A document from 1265 shows the now restored and transformed into a protected by stone walls fortress. Vercel now made ​​a rule that was dependent as a fief from the reign Montfaucon. 1559 three-quarters of the patch (including the castle and church ) was destroyed by a devastating fire. As part of the conquest of the Franche -Comté by the troops of the French crown, the castle was destroyed again and then left to decay. Together with the Franche -Comté Vercel came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. To a field change occurred in 1818, when the previously independent Goux was incorporated into Vercel.

In Villedieu -le-Camp since the 14th century, there was a St John to come. With the establishment of the training area Valdahon 1907, the village had to be abandoned. The municipalities of Villedieu -le-Camp and Vercel, however, were united only in 1962. At the same time Vercel changed its official name in Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp. Since 1998 Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp is a member of the 44- villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Pays de Pierre Fontaine - Vercel.

On 1 January 2009, the district membership of the community has changed. So far, belonging to the district Besançon, all municipalities in the canton came to the district Pontarlier.

Attractions

The parish church of Sainte -Agathe was built in the 16th century in the Gothic Flamboyant style. In the further course alterations have been made several times. The church has a rich interior, including a gilded silver chalice (18th century) as well as furniture from the 17th century. The Chapel of Saint- Eloi dates from the 17th century. In a forest clearing at the height east of the village is the chapel of Notre -Dame des Malades, which was built in the 16th century in the Gothic Flamboyant style. From the former medieval castle, the foundations of a round tower are preserved. The old town is characterized by different farmhouses in the characteristic style of the Franche -Comté from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Population

With 1491 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp is one of the smaller communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1901 1235 people were still counted ), a continuous population growth was recorded since the early 1960s again.

Economy and infrastructure

Vercel - Villedieu -le-Camp was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are now several companies of small and medium enterprises, mainly in the sectors of watch making, cheese making, mechanical workshops, in other crafts and in retail stores.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road, leading from Valdahon by Baume- les -Dames. Further road links exist with Avoudrey and Pierre Fontaine- les- Varans.