Froidevaux
| Froidevaux | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Department | Doubs | |
| Arrondissement | Montbeliard | |
| Canton | Maîche | |
| Community association | Pays de Sancey-Belleherbe | |
| Coordinates | 47 ° 18 ' N , 6 ° 42' E | |
| height | 666-820 m | |
| surface | 3.98 km 2 | |
| Residents | 75 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 19 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 25190 | |
| INSEE code | 25261 | |
Froidevaux is a French commune with a population of 75 (as at 1st January 2017) in the Doubs department in the region of Bourgogne Franche-Comté .
geography
Froidevaux is located at 690 m , ten kilometers northwest of Maîche and about 25 kilometers south-southwest of the city of Montbéliard (as the crow flies). The village extends in the Jura , in a depression between the valleys of Barbèche in the north and Dessoubre in the south, at the northern foot of the Montaigu.
The area of the 3.98 km² large municipality covers a section of the French Jura. The central part of the area is occupied by a depression almost one kilometer wide, which is on average 670 m, opens to the northeast and consists mainly of meadows. There are no surface rivers here because the rainwater seeps into the karstified subsoil. The depression is surrounded in the north, west and south by hills, which mark the municipality boundary. In the west, the municipal area extends to the heights of Mont de Fonteny ( 800 m ), in the south on the ridge of the Montaigu , on which the highest elevation of Froidevaux is reached at 820 m.
Neighboring communities of Froidevaux are Rosières-sur-Barbèche and Péseux in the north, Les Terres-de-Chaux in the east, Belleherbe in the south and La Grange in the west.
history
In the Middle Ages, Froidevaux was part of the Châtillon-sous-Maîche domain. Together with Franche-Comté , the village came to France with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678.
Attractions
The Immaculée-Conception church in Froidevaux was built in the 19th century; a stone wayside cross dates from the 15th century. Various farmhouses in the traditional Franche-Comté style from the 18th century have been preserved in the town center.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 110 |
| 1968 | 90 |
| 1975 | 93 |
| 1982 | 95 |
| 1990 | 80 |
| 1999 | 69 |
| 2006 | 59 |
| 2016 | 72 |
With 75 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Froidevaux is one of the smallest communities in the Doubs department. After the population in the first half of the 20th century had always been in the range between 90 and 120 people, a continuous decline in population has been recorded, especially in the last few decades.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Froidevaux was a village dominated by agriculture (dairy farming, cattle breeding, arable farming). Outside the primary sector there are few jobs in the village. Some workers are also commuters who work in the surrounding larger towns.
The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a departmental road that leads from Belleherbe to Les Terres-de-Chaux. Another road connection is with Péseux.
literature
- Le Patrimoine des Communes du Doubs. Volume 2, Flohic Editions, Paris 2001, ISBN 2-84234-087-6 , pp. 1243-1244.
