Aroffe (Vosges)

Aroffe
region	Grand Est
Department	Vosges
Arrondissement	Neufchâteau
Canton	Mirecourt
Community association	Ouest Vosgien
Coordinates	48 ° 24 ' N , 5 ° 54' E Coordinates: 48 ° 24 ' N , 5 ° 54' E
height	347-460 m
surface	8.51 km 2
Residents	80 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	9 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	88170
INSEE code	88013
	; Saint-Sulpice church in Aroffe

Aroffe is a French commune in the Vosges department in the Grand Est region (until 2015 Lorraine ). It belongs to the Neufchâteau arrondissement and the interdepartmental association of Pays de Colombey et Sud Toulois . The inhabitants call themselves Aruffiens .

geography

The municipality of Aroffe with 80 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) on the western edge of the Xaintois region is located in the north of the Vosges department on the border with the Meurthe-et-Moselle department , 30 kilometers south of Toul . The 8.51 km² municipal area extends far to the north and includes the Bois du Feys forest here . The eponymous river Aroffe , a right tributary of the upper Meuse, flows through the municipality .

Neighboring municipalities of Aroffe are Favières in the north, Tramont-Saint-André in the east, Soncourt in the south, Aouze in the southwest, and Gémonville in the northwest.

history

There is a lot of uncertainty about the founding date of the village of Aroffe, but thanks to remains from the vicinity of neighboring Gémonville, it is believed that the area around Aroffe was already inhabited by the Gauls. The oldest traces of settlement can be dated to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. During this time the area fell under Roman rule.

Around the year 476, Aroffe and the surrounding area were sacked by marauding mercenaries. During the early Merovingian period , the area south of Toul was completely Christianized. Witch hunts from this time have been handed down from the neighboring village of Aouze. A farmer from Aroffe, who attended one of the witch trials, is said to have initiated the construction of a first chapel on the 392 m high Chaplemont south of the village after an apparition of Mary . The first church was built in Aroffe in the 16th century. A document dates the end of the church building with the installation of a canopy to the year 1528. Aroffe, like some other villages in the area, belonged to the diocese of Toul. For a long time, however, Aroffe stood in the shadow of the nearby village of Vicherey with its castle.

During the French Revolution , the old chapel was destroyed and looted. In the 19th century a clay brick factory was built and a water mill started operating. The mill was used by a family of bakers to make flour until the 1940s. The brickworks also remained in operation until the middle of the 20th century. The First World War claimed many victims in Aroffe; During the Second World War the village was occupied for a long time. After the war the cinema and the last inn in Aroffe closed.

coat of arms

The wavy ribbon and the fish symbolize the Aroffe River, which gave the village its name. The oak leaves indicate the community's abundance of forests; Monumental cross and mill wheel show two of the sights of Aroffe. The municipal coat of arms was created in September 2011.

Population development

year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2016
Residents	147	118	98	92	77	82	92	83
Sources: Cassini and INSEE

Attractions

monumental floor cross from the 16th century, Monument historique
Church Saint-Sulpice Church, illuminated by spotlights at night
two lavoirs
twelve apostles on the facade of a house
former watermill
Niches with statues of the Virgin Mary on several houses
former cinema
Remnants of the foundations of the former chapel in the woods on Chaplemont

several wayside crosses

former town hall and school building ( Mairie-école )

Cemetery with graves from the 19th century

Grotte du Haut-du-Mont at 400 m above sea level, 16 m deep cave

Lavoirs in Aroffe

Economy and Infrastructure

In addition to a few small service companies, there are five agricultural producers in Aroffe (dairy farming, cattle breeding).

Aroffe is on the trunk road from Colombey-les-Belles to Mirecourt (D 29). The Autoroute A31 leads through the west of the municipality (connection in Châtenois 17 kilometers away ).