Velesmes-Échevanne

Velesmes - Échevanne is a commune in Haute -Saône in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Velesmes - Échevanne situated at an altitude of 204 m above sea level, 9 km east-southeast of Gray and about 32 km northwest of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the southwest of the department, in the basin of the Saone, in the hollow of the brook Teuillot the east of the hill of Bois de Belle Combe.

The area of ​​22:11 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the rolling countryside of south-east of the Saône. The central part of the territory is occupied from south to north from the valley of the Teuillot. This springs from the very south of the area in the Bois de Grilley and drains the area to the Morte. Flanked the trough of the Teuillot on both sides of a plateau, which is on average 220 ​​m. It is composed of sediments derived from the Tertiary and Upper Jurassic time. The plateau is used predominantly agricultural, but there are larger areas of forest. In the Bois de Grilley is achieved with 251 m the highest elevation of Velesmes - Échevanne. To the west of the municipality floor extends into the vast forest area of the Bois de Belle Combe (243 m). The western boundary runs partly along the creek Dhuys. In the north the Morte forms a natural border. It flows through a more than a kilometer wide Talniederung to the west and provides for the drainage of the whole area to the Saône.

The double municipality consists of the town of Velesmes (204 m) at the Teuillot and the hamlet Échevanne (210 m ) in a clearing island in the Bois de Belle Combe in the catchment area of ​​Dhuys. Neighboring communities of Velesmes - Échevanne are Saint- Broing in the north, Saint -Loup- Nantouard and Villefrancon in the east, Velloreille -lès- Choye and Onay in the south and Cresancey, Battrans and Ancier in the West.

History

The remains of a Merovingian cemetery point to an early settlement of the municipality. Is first mentioned in the 12th century Velesmes. Also Échevanne is occupied and owned by a local aristocratic family since 1153. In the Middle Ages both villages belonged to the Free County of Burgundy and in the territory of the Bailliage d' amont. Velesmes shared the fate of the nearby monastery Corneux. Together with the Franche -Comté reached both villages with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 definitively to France. 1973 merged Velesmes and Échevanne (1968: 26 inhabitants ) to today's double municipality.

Attractions

The Church of Velesmes was rebuilt in 1860, the bell tower of the previous building was included with 1636. Whose foundations date from the first village church from the 13th century. The church houses a rich interior, including a crucifix from the 17th century, statues from the 18th century and several grave slabs. A hermitage was founded in 1635 has been converted into a farm. Additional points of Velesmes include two Lavoirs whose roof is supported by numerous pillars. From the 19th century comes a stately home in Échevanne, which was built on the foundations of the old castle.

Population

With 448 inhabitants ( 2004) Velesmes - Échevanne one of the small towns in the Haute- Saône. After the population had decreased in the first half of the 20th century (1891 were combined with Échevanne still counted 653 persons ), only relatively small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1970s.

Economy and infrastructure

Velesmes - Échevanne has long been a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. Today there are various operations of local small businesses, including a sawmill. In recent decades the village has been transformed into a residential community. Many workers are therefore commuters who engage in Gray and in other major towns around their work.

The village has good transport links. It lies on the main road D474 which leads from Gray to Vesoul. Through a local bypass road Velesmes is relieved of through traffic. Further road links exist with Saint- Broing, Saint- Loup and Onay.