Autrey-lès-Gray

Autrey- lès- Gray is a town in the French department of Haute- Saône in the Franche-Comté region. It is the capital of the canton of Autrey- lès-Gray in the arrondissement of Vesoul.

Geography

Autrey- lès- Gray is situated at an altitude of 215 m above sea level, 9 km north-west of Gray and about 40 km northeast of the city of Dijon (air line). The village is located in the extreme west of the département, in the northwest of the plateau landscape Saônetals, in the valley of the Soufroide.

The area of ​​32.40 km ² municipal area includes a portion in the region of the plateau northwest of the Saônetals. The central part of the area occupied by the basin of the Soufroide, which provides for the drainage to the southeast to the Saône. The Talniederung is on average 210 m and has a width of around 500 meters. It is about 20 m deep sunk into the surrounding plateau.

The plateau consists of an alternation of calcareous and sandy- marly sediments of the Upper Jurassic and Tertiary. It is broken down by various depressions that open up to the Valley of the Soufroide. However, they show no surface watercourses, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. On the plateau dominates agricultural use. With 254 m is reached on a knoll north of the village is the highest elevation of Autrey- lès- Gray. To the southwest, the municipality's area extends far south into the grove of Le bouchot and with a long, narrow lobes, where it covers the forest area of the Forêt d' Autrey ( to 248 m).

To Autrey- lès-Gray is one of the hamlet settlement La Fontaine -à- l'Âne (233 m) on the plateau at the northern edge of the Forêt d' Autrey. Neighboring communities of Autrey- lès-Gray is Saint -Seine- sur -Vingeanne, Fahy -lès- Autrey and Auvet -et -la- Chapelotte in the north, Bouhans -et- Feurg in the east, Poyans, Mantoche and Essertenne -et- Cecey in south and Champagne- sur -Vingeanne and Broye -les- Loups -et- Verfontaine in the West.

History

Is first mentioned Autrey already in 630 under the name of Villa Alteriacum than Amalgaire the place, leaving the monastery Beza. The place name probably derives from the Latin word altaria ( altar) and indicates a place of worship of the Merovingian period. In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the Free County of Burgundy and in the territory of the Bailliage d' amont. The local government had held the Lords of Vergy since about 1160. On the initiative of Saint- Étienne de Dijon, the first church was built in 1156. The Priory of Autrey 1200 is mentioned in a document. Furthermore, there was also a house of the Knights Templar.

Together with the Franche -Comté Autrey came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. At the time of the French Revolution (1789 ) the neighboring Fahy -lès- Autrey was merged with Autrey- lès-Gray, but separated again in 1821 and raised again an independent municipality. In the 19th century a foundry coined the village life. End of the 19th century Autrey- lès-Gray has been connected with the opening of the railway line from Gray after Is-sur -Tille to the transportation network of the French railways. Today Autrey- lès-Gray is the administrative seat of the comprehensive 14 villages municipal association Communauté de communes des Quatre Vallées.

Attractions

The Church of Autrey- lès-Gray was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and shows a style in the transition region between the Romanesque and early Gothic architecture. For valuable Interior features include a statue of St. Didier ( 15th century ), frescoes from the 16th century, furniture, paintings and statues from the 17th and 18th centuries, and numerous grave plates. Next to the church is a Calvary, which is dated to the year 1605. Remnants of the former castle of the lords of Vergy are obtained. In the former Prioratsgebäuden from the 16th and 17th century the rectory is housed. From the 19th century, the Lavoir whose roof is supported by numerous columns dating. It was once used as a wash house and livestock watering.

Population

With 449 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Autrey- lès-Gray is one of the smaller towns in the Haute- Saône. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1881 1008 people were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1960s.

Economy and infrastructure

Autrey- lès-Gray has long been a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, were the foundry and mills of importance. Today there are various operations of local small businesses, especially in precision engineering and construction. 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, leading from Gray to Fontaine - Française. Further road links exist with Broye -les- Loups, Poyans, Fahy -lès- Autrey and Auvet.