Villefrancon
| Villefrancon | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Department | Haute-Saône | |
| Arrondissement | Vesoul | |
| Canton | Marnay | |
| Community association | Monts de Gy | |
| Coordinates | 47 ° 24 ' N , 5 ° 45' E | |
| height | 198-238 m | |
| surface | 5.65 km 2 | |
| Residents | 140 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 25 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 70700 | |
| INSEE code | 70557 | |
Villefrancon is a municipality in the French department of Haute-Saône in the region Bourgogne Franche-Comté .
geography
Villefrancon is located at an altitude of 212 m above sea level, twelve kilometers east-southeast of Gray and about 29 kilometers northwest of the city of Besançon (as the crow flies). The village extends in the southwest of the department, in the basin of the Saône , in the lowland of the Colombine , northwest of the heights of the Monts de Gy .
The area of the municipal area of 5.65 km² comprises a section of the gently undulating landscape southeast of the Saône . The eastern border is marked in parts by the Colombine stream, which provides drainage to the north to the Morte . It flows through a wide alluvial valley , which averages 200 m. To the west, the community area extends to the adjacent plateau, which is made up of sediments from the Tertiary and Cretaceous periods . It is mainly used for agriculture. In the northwest the area extends into the forest of the Grand Bois . At 238 m, the highest point in Villefrancon is reached here.
Neighboring municipalities of Villefrancon are Saint-Loup-Nantouard in the north, Choye in the east, Velloreille-lès-Choye in the south and Velesmes-Échevanne in the west.
history
Villefrancon was first mentioned in a document in 1240. In the Middle Ages, the village belonged to the Free County of Burgundy and in that part of the Bailliage d'Amont area . Local rule was held by the Lords of Gy, who were under the sovereignty of the Archbishops of Besançon. During the Thirty Years' War , the castle and part of the village were sacked in 1636 by the troops of Duke Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar . Together with Franche-Comté , Villefrancon finally came to France with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678. Today Villefrancon is a member of the community association Communauté de communes des Monts de Gy, which comprises 20 villages .
Attractions
The castle, once surrounded by a circular wall and moat system, was rebuilt in the 18th century. The chapel, built in 1729, is nearby.
Other sights include the Calvaire, built in 1894, as well as numerous restored farmhouses in the characteristic style of the Haute-Saône from the 18th and 19th centuries.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 86 |
| 1968 | 88 |
| 1975 | 78 |
| 1982 | 73 |
| 1990 | 79 |
| 1999 | 73 |
With 140 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) Villefrancon is one of the smallest municipalities in the Haute-Saône department. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (211 people were still counted in 1886), slight population growth has been recorded since the beginning of the 1980s.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Villefrancon was predominantly a village characterized by agriculture (arable farming, fruit growing and cattle breeding). Outside the primary sector there are few jobs in the village. Some workers are also commuters who work in the larger towns in the area.
The place is well developed in terms of traffic. It is close to the main D474 road from Gray to Vesoul . Other road connections exist with Velloreille-lès-Choye and Sauvigney-lès-Gray.
