Nancray

Nancray is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Nancray is located on 413 m, about 12 km east of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the western Jura, on the so-called first plateau in the basin of the Saone, south of the Jura - edge chain ( Cote ).

The area of ​​16.48 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the western French Jura. The main part of the area is occupied by the wide first Jura plateau, which averages to 410 m. It forms a wide basin with no surface runoff. North of Nancray forth two small streams, but the seep after a short distance on foot of the Côte. In the area of Nancray the plateau is mainly consisted of arable and meadow land. In the south of the municipality floor extends into the vast forest area Forêt de Chauley (up to 450 m ) in the west to the Bois de lazy. To the north, the municipality's area extends to the long and wooded ridge of the Côte du Mont (Jura - edge chain) that separates the plateau from the adjacent Doubs Valley. Here the highest elevation of Nancray is achieved with 561 m.

To Nancray heard the hamlet of Moulin Neuf (395 m) on the plateau at the southern foot of the Côte du Mont neighboring communities of Nancray are Vaire - Arcier in the north, Osse in the east, and La Bouclans Chevillotte Gennes in the south and the west.

History

The territory of Nancray was settled very early. Traces, which can be due to the presence of people close, are known from the Neolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Age. During the Gallo-Roman times was probably a settlement here.

Is first mentioned Nancray in 1104 under the name Nanchra. In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the rule Montfaucon. In the Thirty Years' War it was severely affected. After the reconstruction, it formed its own little rule. Together with the Franche -Comté Nancray came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.

Attractions

The single-nave church of Saint- Valere was 1757 newly built on the site of a medieval church. One of the special attractions of Nancray include the Musée de Plein Air des Maisons Comtoises, an open-air museum, where 24 farmhouses dating from the 18th century can be seen in the characteristic style of the Franche -Comté.

• Musée de Plein Air des Maisons Comtoises

Farmhouse from the Sundgau

Painted stove

Chapelle Notre -Dame- d'Einsiedeln

Population

With 1266 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Nancray one of the smaller communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased in the first half of the 20th century (1886 553 persons were still counted ), a striking population growth was recorded since the early 1960s again. Since then, the population has nearly tripled.

Economy and infrastructure

Nancray was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises, including a sawmill, mechanical workshops and other workshops. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who engage in the agglomeration Besançon their work.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road that leads from Besançon Sancey- le -Grand. Further road links exist with Osse and La Chevillotte.