FRANCHE-COMTE
GENERAL INFORMATION
Franche-Comté is a région and a traditional
province of eastern
France
. The principal cities are Besançon (the historic capital
of the region),
Belfort
and Montbéliard. The région
consists of four departments,
Doubs, Haute Saone, Jura and Territoire de
Belfort.
HISTORY
The
name Franche-Comté did not officially appear until 1366. It had been a
territory
of
Burgundy
from 888, the province becoming subject to the Holy Roman Empire in 1034,
definitively separated from the neighbouring duchy of
Burgundy
upon the latter's incorporation into
France
in 1477. Transferred to Spain in 1556, the Franche-Comté was occupied by the
French in 1668 but handed back at the subsequent peace, under the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle; conquered a second time in 1674, it was finally ceded to
France
at the Treaty of
Nijmegen
, 1678.
The
region's population fell by a fifth between the censuses of 1851 and 1946,
reflecting low French natural growth and migration to more urbanised parts of
the country. Most of the decline occurred in Haute-Saône and Jura, which remain
among the country's more agriculture-dependent areas.
THINGS TO DO AND SEE
This is a region of mountains, woods, plateaus, lakes,
waterfalls and pastures and is renowned for its natural beauty.
It is strong on outdoor activities, and although big cities are in short
supply, fresh air is most certainly not.
It will appeal particularly to anyone who wants to avoid crowds and enjoy
alpine countryside with a French twist.
The region however does have plenty of villages and towns with
definite character. Grayhas fine renaissance architecture while Le Corbusier’s
chapel Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp is definitely 20th century.
Franche-Comté
extends along the Jura mountain range bordering
Switzerland
. It is renowned for cross-country skiing in winter and
for canoeing and hiking in summer.
Among
the attractions of Territoire de Belfort is the Lion de Belfort statue by
Bartoldi, who is best known as the sculptor of
New York
's Statue of Liberty.
Besancon
is the capital of the
Franche-Comte
region and acts as a great base for walking in the northern stretches of the
Jura
mountains. The town has many gems including its vast parks, wide boulevards and the Battant
Quarter, which was originally settled by wine-makers. You'll see some
beautiful architecture here including 17th century facades fronted by
wrought-iron balconies. The Citadel was built by the great military
architect Vauban and offers superb views of the river
Doubs.
Wine lovers have the delights of the Jura's vin jaune to
discover which is bottled after six years in barrels – some prefer it to
sherry.
History lovers on the other hand should head for Dole, the medieval capital of
the region.
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