Apremont, Haute-Saône

Apremont is a commune in Haute -Saône in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Apremont situated at an altitude of 202 m above sea level, 7 km southwest of Gray and about 40 km west-northwest of the city of Besançon ( straight line ). The village is located in the southwest of the department, in the plane of Gray on a terrace on the southern edge of the valley of the Saône River, across from Mantoche.

The area of ​​14:40 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the gently undulating countryside between the valleys of the Saone in the north and in the south Ognon. And is bordered on the west by the territory of the Saône, in the north through a side channel of the Saône River, which cuts a -reaching to southeast flow sheet here. The Saône flows southwest through an alluvial plain, which is on average 180 m and a width of about three kilometers. From the river, the municipality's area extends to the southeast on the adjacent plateau (mean 210 m). It is composed of Tertiary sediments and is used mainly for agricultural purposes. The plateau is divided by the little valley of the Ruisseau la Roye. With 226 m is reached the highest elevation of Apremont on the edge of the Bois de la Roture.

Neighboring communities of Apremont are Mantoche and Esmoulins in the north, Champvans and Le Tremblois in the east, the south and Germigney Talmay and Essertenne -et- Cecey in the West.

History

The area of Apremont been inhabited since prehistoric times. The municipality's bottom two tumuli have been found from the Gallic period as well as mosaics from Gallo- Roman times. Since that time, was at Apremont a much committed ford the river Saône.

In the Middle Ages Apremont belonged to the Free County of Burgundy and in the territory of the Bailliage d' amont. The existence of the rule Apremont is occupied since the 9th century. Apremont developed early into a small borough. In the 12th century, the abbey of Saint -Claude founded a priory, which later became the dependence of the monastery Acey. In 1312 a hospital was founded. The borough was in 1470 by troops of the French king Louis XI. destroyed. Together with the Franche -Comté came Apremont with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. Today Apremont is a member of the 16- villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Val de Gray.

Attractions

The church of Saint - Barthelemy was rebuilt in the 19th century in the Gothic Revival style. From the medieval castle only a few remnants remain. By 1750, today's Château d' Apremont was built in the Renaissance style. From 1839 comes the covered Lavoir, which once served as a laundry and watering cattle.

Population

With 396 inhabitants ( 2004) Apremont is one of the small towns in the Haute- Saône. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1896 660 people were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1960s.

Economy and infrastructure

Apremont was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. Today there are various operations of local small businesses, including an operation of the machinery building and a gravel pit. In recent decades the village has been transformed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who engage in the larger towns in the vicinity of their work.

The village is situated away from the larger passage axes on a secondary road that leads from Gray after Broye. Further road links exist with Mantoche and Champvans.

Personalities

• Xavier de Montépin, French novelist