Les Terres-de-Chaux

Les Terres de Chaux is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Les Terres de Chaux is located at 700 m, 9 km north- west of Maîche and about 22 km south of the town of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located in the Jura, at the edge of a plateau, which is surrounded on three sides by deep valleys, north of the Barbèche, to the east by the Doubs and in the south by Dessoubre.

The area of ​​14.49 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The main part of the area is occupied by a high undulating country, which is on average 700 m. Important components of the high plateau are from south to north of the ridge of the Montaigu ( with 860 m the highest elevation of Les Terres de Chaux; marks the southern boundary of the municipality ), the approximately one kilometer- wide valley of Courcelles, the heights of Chaux, and the projection of Neuvier. The area is mainly consisted of meadow and pasture land. There are no surface watercourses, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. To the east the plateau drops steeply to the valley of the Doubs and in rocky protrusions ( including that of Châtillon ) can be subdivided. In the north, the boundary runs mostly along the top edge of the escarpment, which leads on to the erosion valley Barbèche.

The municipality of Les Terres de Chaux consists of four separate towns until 1969:

• Chaux- lès -Châtillon ( 690 m) on a hill of the plateau, high above the Doubs Valley
• Châtillon- sous- Maîche ( 649 m) on the eastern edge of the plateau above the steep escarpment to the Doubs Valley
• Courcelles- lès -Châtillon (680 m) in a valley at the northern foot of the Montaigu
• Neuvier (700 m) on a plateau above the Doubs Valley

Neighboring municipalities of Les Terres de Chaux are Solemont, Feule and Dampjoux in the north, and Bief Fleurey in the east, and Valoreille Belleherbe in the south and Froidevaux and Péseux in the West.

History

The oldest village in the church today Les Terres de Chaux is Chaux, was its first documentary mention as parish seat under the name calcination in a bull of Pope Innocent II by the first quarter of the 12th century. The origin of the castle Châtillon, developed the village next to the Châtillon, are in the dark. The existence of these on a vertical rock ledge strategically very well-situated castle is occupied since the beginning of the 13th century. The rule of Châtillon- sous- Maîche, which also included the other villages of the area was successively owned by the Counts of La Roche, the Lords of Vienne and the Marquis of Hochberg. The castle served several times as a refuge for the population of the region, namely during the Burgundian Wars (1480 ) and the Thirty Years War, when the villages were severely affected. In the wake of the conquests of the Franche -Comté in 1668 and 1674 by Louis XIV, the palace was occupied and destroyed in 1675. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the area with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 finally to France.

In November 1969, the four small communities Châtillon- sous- Maîche (1968: 56 inhabitants) concluded Chaux- lès -Châtillon (26 inhabitants), Courcelles- lès -Châtillon (62 inhabitants) and Neuvier (41 inhabitants) merged to Les Terres Chaux -de- together.

Attractions

The church of Saint -Léger in La Chaux -lès -Châtillon was built in the 12th century and remodeled in the 14th and 16th centuries. It has a remarkable interior, including statues ( 15th to 17th century ), a stone pulpit (16th century) and an altar from the 17th century. The Rectory dates from the 17th century. From the former castle of Châtillon (13th century) are preserved the ruins. In Neuvier is the Big Maison, a former mansion.

Population

With 136 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Les Terres de Chaux is one of the smallest municipalities of the department of Doubs. After 1881 322 inhabitants had been counted at the current municipal area, took the population throughout the 20th century continuously.

Economy and infrastructure

Les Terres de Chaux was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture ( dairy farming and animal husbandry, agriculture ) embossed village. Outside of the primary sector, there are few jobs in the local small businesses. Some employed persons are also commuters who engage in the surrounding larger towns of their work.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road, leading from Belleherbe to Saint -Hippolyte. Further road links exist with Bief and Valoreille.