Saint-Jean-de-Gonville

Saint -Jean -de- Gonville is a commune in the French department of Ain, in the Rhône -Alpes.

Geography

Saint -Jean -de- Gonville is located on 510 m above sea level. Level, about 15 kilometers west of the city of Geneva (air line). This former farm extends in the Pays de Gex: a scenic elevated location at the foot of the Jura Mountains below the Reculet, on the western edge of the lake basin near the border with Switzerland.

The area of ​​12.36 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the Pays de Gex. The area is divided into two very different parts of the natural area. The eastern part is occupied by the fertile plain at Jurafuß that rises gently against the law to go. Various streams that originate on Jurafuß, flowing east to Allondon and intersect with more or less deep gullies into the plateau. The most important tributary of the Allondon in the area of Saint -Jean -de- Gonville is the Ruisseau de Roulavaz.

To the west, the municipality's area extends over the steep, densely forested slopes to the crest of the Jura. The border runs along the ridge that slopes steeply towards the west with a rock wall. On the south-western outskirts of the Reculet is with 1632 meters above sea level. M. reached the highest point of Saint -Jean -de- Gonville. Above about 1400 m above sea level. M. are extensive mountain pastures, but they are interspersed by typical karst features such as sinkholes and rugged karst formations. That the High Jura belonging western municipality of Saint -Jean -de- Gonville is part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut -Jura and the nature reserve Haute Chaîne du Jura.

At Saint -Jean -de- Gonville next to the original site also includes several villages, hamlets and new housing estates, namely:

• Sous -Saint -Jean ( 478 m above sea level. M. ) on the plateau below the village on the old main road
• Mornex (521 m above sea level. M. ) north of the village on Jurafuß
• Choudans (550 m above sea level. M. ) west of the village on Jurafuß

Neighboring municipalities of Saint -Jean -de- Gonville are Péron in the south, Chézery -Forens in the West, Thoiry in the north and the Swiss community Dardagny in the east.

History

Saint -Jean -de- Gonville is first mentioned in 1213 under the name Govelles. Over time, the spelling on Sanctus Johannes de Govelles ( 1274) and Sen Johant de Govellies ( 1295) to Saint Jean de Gonville, which is already on record in 1355 transformed. Later the names Sanctus Johannes Govelliarum ( 1397 ), Sanctus Johannes Gonvilliarum ( 1528) and Sainct Jehan de Gonvilles ( 1554 ) published.

Already in the 10th century made ​​Saint -Jean -de- Gonville a parish ( Church of Saint -Jean -Baptiste ), which the Priory of Satigny, from 1095 to 1536 the priory of Saint -Victor in Geneva was initially assumed. The temporal rule over the village was responsible for initially the Count of Geneva, which were distributed to the Lords of Gex in the 12th century. Through inheritance, the area came to the family Joinville, who built a castle and the village in 1303 gave certain liberties. In the 14th century the village came under the suzerainty of the Counts of Savoy. After Saint -Jean -de- Gonville told the eventful history of the Pays de Gex, with which it finally reached in 1601 after the Treaty of Lyon in France. From 1536 to 1638 the village was reformed, then it was re-Catholicised and canceled the former Reformed Church in 1662.

Attractions

The parish church of Saint -Jean -Baptiste was built in the first half of the 17th century. In the village are old farmhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved.

Population

With 1498 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Saint -Jean -de- Gonville one of the smaller communities of the department of Ain. Since the mid- 1960s, a striking population growth was recorded. Since then, the population has nearly tripled. Outside the old town center, numerous new single-family homes were built.

Economy and infrastructure

Saint -Jean -de- Gonville was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by farming village. Today, there are some operations of small and medium enterprises. Along the main street there is a small commercial and industrial area has developed. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many working population commuters who work in the larger towns of the Pays de Gex or as a frontier in the agglomeration of Geneva.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares of a link road that leads from Péron along the Jurafuß after Crozet. The main road D984 through the Pays de Gex, which is now expanded to a four-lane expressway, drives around Saint -Jean -de- Gonville the southeast. Another road connection with Dardagny. The former railway line that ran from Bellegarde- sur -Valserine to Divonne -les- Bains and Saint -Jean -de- Gonville served, was shut down. In its place today is a bus line.