Rochejean
| Rochejean | ||
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Department | Doubs | |
| Arrondissement | Pontarlier | |
| Canton | Frasne | |
| Community association | Lacs et Montagnes du Haut-Doubs | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 45 ′ N , 6 ° 18 ′ E | |
| height | 870-1,381 m | |
| surface | 24.32 km 2 | |
| Residents | 672 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 28 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 25370 | |
| INSEE code | 25494 | |
Roche Jean is a French municipality with 672 inhabitants (as of January 1 2017) in Doubs in the region Bourgogne Franche-Comté .
geography
Rochejean is located at 919 m above sea level, about 18 kilometers south-southwest of the city of Pontarlier (as the crow flies). The village extends in the Jura , in the longitudinal basin of the Val de Mouthe, which is crossed here by a valley bar, mainly on the left (northern) side of the Doubs at the western foot of the Mont d'Or , near the border with Switzerland .
The area of the 24.32 km² municipality covers a section of the French Jura. The central part of the area is taken up by the approximately one kilometer wide longitudinal basin of the Val de Mouthe, which from a geological and tectonic point of view forms a syncline of the Jura folds . The Doubs meanders through a wide valley, breaks through the narrow valley bar at Rochejean and draws a sharp curve northeast of the village before flowing through a gorge-like valley (northeastern municipal boundary ) to Lac de Saint-Point . On its north side, the valley basin is flanked by the height of Mont de la Croix ( 1022 m ).
To the south, the community area extends into the partly wooded, partly pastureland-covered area of the ridge, which stretches from Mont d'Or to the southwest to the Risoux . There are no surface rivers here because the rainwater seeps into the karstified subsoil. The southern border runs in the Grande Combe , which lies in the catchment area of the Orbe . In the far east, the communal soil extends to the slopes of Mont d'Or. Here, at 1381 m, the highest point in Rochejean is reached. The municipality is part of the Upper Jura Regional Nature Park (French: Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura ).
Neighboring municipalities of Rochejean are Les Villedieu and Brey-et-Maison-du-Bois in the west, Labergement-Sainte-Marie in the north, Fourcatier-et-Maison-Neuve and Longevilles-Mont-d'Or in the east, and the Swiss municipalities of Vallorbe and Le Lieu in the south.
history
The origin of the settlement can be traced back to the foundation of the castle on the Roche de Alpe by Jean von Chalon-Arlay in 1266. From the following year the medieval castle was named Rochejean in honor of the founder. The castle and the settlement that developed next to it became the focus of a rule that was under the suzerainty of the House of Chalon-Arlay. During the Thirty Years War , the castle and town were destroyed by Swedish troops. Together with Franche-Comté , Rochejean came to France with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678. Iron processing has been established in Rochejean since the 17th century and reached its peak at the beginning of the 19th century. After a fire, operations were closed in 1849. Today Rochejean is a member of the Lacs et Montagnes du Haut-Doubs municipal association .
Attractions
The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and has rich interiors including a statue of John the Baptist (17th century), a 17th century pulpit and a high altar (early 19th century ). Only a few remains of the medieval castle from the 13th century have survived.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 262 |
| 1968 | 261 |
| 1975 | 246 |
| 1982 | 286 |
| 1990 | 389 |
| 1999 | 430 |
| 2006 | 511 |
| 2016 | 676 |
With 672 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) Rochejean is one of the small communities in the Doubs department. After the population had decreased in the first half of the 20th century (407 people were still counted in 1891), there has been significant population growth again since the early 1980s.
Economy and Infrastructure
For a long time Rochejean was predominantly a village characterized by agriculture, in particular dairy and cattle breeding, as well as forestry. In addition, there are now a few local small-scale businesses, including wood processing companies, mechanical workshops and a cheese dairy. In the meantime, the village has also turned into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who work in the larger towns in the area.
As a resort in a popular excursion area in the High Jura, Rochejean now also benefits from tourism. The community is geared towards both summer tourism (hiking, cycling, fishing) and winter tourism (alpine and Nordic skiing).
The village is very well developed in terms of traffic. It is located on a departmental road that leads from Mouthe to Jougne . There are other road connections with Labergement-Sainte-Marie and Les Villedieu. Rochejean has a train station on the Frasne to Vallorbe railway line , which opened in 1915. The train station is at the north portal of the 6079 m long tunnel du Mont d'Or .
literature
- Le Patrimoine des Communes du Doubs. Volume 2, Flohic Editions, Paris 2001, ISBN 2-84234-087-6 , pp. 822-825.
