Champis, Ardèche

Champis is a commune with 590 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in Ardèche, in the Rhône -Alpes. Its inhabitants are Champinois (it) called.

Geography

The municipality is located in the eastern Champis, leafy part of Ardeche, on the Plateau de Vernoux. Neighboring communities are Saint -Sylvestre, Saint- Romain- de Lerps, Saint- Péray, Alboussière and Gilhoc -sur- Ormèze. The nearest major town is Guilherand -Granges in 11 kilometers south-east, to Valence is 20 kilometers away as the crow. The river Duzon crosses the municipality.

History

Champis was branch of the lords of the neighboring village of Saint- Sylvestre in the 18th century. 1790 the village got the status of an independent parish.

Culture and sights

Of particular interest is the medieval village of La - Batie -de- Crussol, which is known for its culinary specialties on the basis of crayfish, but also has a trail of megalithic rocks. The biggest rock la pierre branlante weighs 70 tons, but trembles under the weight of a grown man. The place is also home to a temple from 1819, and a feudal castle that has been built by the same landowners Crussol.

In Champis even stand the Château d' Antoulin and the Château de Roubiac. In the hamlet Garnier, the village church was built in the 19th century.