Arc-et-Senans

Arc-et-Senans

Royal Saltworks

Coat of arms
Arc-et-Senans

Coordinates: 47°01′59″N 5°46′45″E / 47.0331°N 5.7792°E / 47.0331; 5.7792Coordinates: 47°01′59″N 5°46′45″E / 47.0331°N 5.7792°E / 47.0331; 5.7792
Country France
Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Department Doubs
Arrondissement Besançon
Canton Quingey
Intercommunality Canton of Quingey
Government
  Mayor (20082020) Jacques Maurice
Area1 14.98 km2 (5.78 sq mi)
Population (2012)2 1,537
  Density 100/km2 (270/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 25610 / 39210
Elevation 226–292 m (741–958 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
From the Great Saltworks of Salins-les-Bains to the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the Production of Open-pan Salt
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Reference 203
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1982 (6th Session)
Extensions 2009

Arc-et-Senans is a French commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France.

The Royal Saltworks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, is located here.

Geography

Arc-et-Senans is a large commune located some 32 km south-west of Besancon and 30 km east by south-east of Dole. It lies between the Loue river in the south and the Chaux forest in the north at 250 metres altitude. The northern western, and southern borders of the commune are the departmental border between Doubs and Jura. Only the short north-eastern border connects the commune to Doubs. Access to the commune is by the D17 from Liesle in the north-east which passes through the town and continues west, changing to the D7 at the border, to Chissey-sur-Loue. The D31 comes from Rans in the north, changing to the D17E at the border, and continues south, changing again to the D32, to Cramans. The commune has several hamlets: Arc to the west of the main town and Senans to the north-east almost link into one town. Then there are also the hamlets of Le Defois and Le Vernois. There is an SNCF railway station at Arc-et-Senans town which is a junction for two lines and is served by the TER Franche-Comté. There are forests to the north but most of the commune is farmland.[1]

The Loue river forms the southern and eastern border of the commune as it continues south to join the Doubs near Molay. The Ruisseau de la Reverotte flows from the north-east of the commune down the western side and forms part of the western border before continuing west to join the Loue east of Belmont.[1]

Neighbouring communes and villages[1]

Toponymy

Arc-et-Senans was known as Petregium (Roche-sur-Loue) cited in the Chronicle by Saint-Benignus. It was Arcum in 1049, Sonans in 1275, Cenans et Arc en Valoye in 1490, and Arc en Vallois in 1681.[2]

History

Traces of occupation dating back to the Roman era have been found, especially at a place called Le Cretot. Bones with broken tiles and bricks were visible in the soil during excavation. Father Letondal in his book Arc-et-Senans through the ages (French) published in 1927 tells a quite complete communal history.

Heraldry

Blazon:

Quarterly, at 1 Gules a fleur-de-lis bendy; at 2 Or, 3 bunches of grapes Argent leaved in Vert and posed 2 and 1; at 3 Or, a chevron Sable between 3 doves Vert in flight; at 4 Gules, 3 falcons Or perched of Sable posed 2 and 1.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[3]

From To Name Party Position
2001 2008 Jean Vaurs
2008 2020 Jacques Maurice

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2012 the commune had 1,537 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.[Note 1]

Population Change (See database)
1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851
n1,198 1,428 1,501 1,410 1,594 1,657 1,681 1,605 1,504
1856 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896
1,491 1,533 1,528 1,425 1,354 1,290 1,312 1,306 1,229
1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954
1,179 1,204 1,179 1,060 1,200 1,201 1,268 1,290 1,247
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2010 -
1,308 1,236 1,231 1,303 1,277 1,364 - 1,481 -

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Arc-et-Senans railway station

Economy

The economic life of Arc-et-Senans is largely oriented towards tourism. The Royal Saltworks attracts 150,000 visitors per year (2000). In addition some small industry has developed, mainly in wood and to a lesser extent plastics. Finally there is still about a dozen farms which traditionally are oriented towards dairy cattle and grain farming.

Culture and heritage

Château de Roche-sur-Loue

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

The Graduation Building
Gallery of Pictures of the Royal Saltworks

Religious heritage

The religious heritage of the town is complemented by several wayside crosses erected in the village and by the presence of two chapels.

The Chapel of Arc was built with donations from parishioners and consecrated in 1913. It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The bell tower has been rebuilt over nearly 25 years: farmers funded the work by donating the proceeds of the sale of the dairy factory. A complete renovation of the building was completed in 1997 by a team of volunteers.

The Chapel de la Grotte des Essarts[8] (Chapel of the Essarts Cave) was built after the cholera epidemic of 1854. Father Coutteret vowed to build this monument if the Virgin Mary protected the parish. It is a stone building located on a natural promontory overlooking the village and the Royal Saltworks. A procession is held every 15 August. In 2006 the procession was carried out at night with torches and the chapel was illuminated for the occasion with a generator. The commune has renovated the chapel through a subscription.

The Church of Saint-Bénigne was built in the 19th century in the classical style. The bell tower was rebuilt exactly in 1921 following a fire caused by a storm. The church has two organs. It also has many items that are registered as historical objects:

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

External links

Notes and references

Notes

  1. At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by Law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002, the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" allows, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2012.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Google Maps
  2. Jean Courtieu, Dictionary of communes in the department of Doubs, CÊTRE, Besançon, 1982, Vol. 1, (French)
  3. List of Mayors of France (French)
  4. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00101438 Chateau d'Arc (French)
  5. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00101775 Saltworks (French)
  6. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00101440 Royal Saltworks (French)
  7. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00101439 Chateau de Roche (French)
  8. Essarts Cave (French)
  9. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000033 Painting: Christ and the chananéenne (French)
  10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000032 Painting: Virgin and Child with donors (French)
  11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000031 Painting: The Saintly Family (French)
  12. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000030 Painting: Placing in the Tomb (French)
  13. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000029 Painting: Saint Joseph and the infant Jesus (French)
  14. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000028 Painting: The Redemption (French)
  15. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25000027 4 Paintings: Scenes of the life of the Virgin (French)
  16. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25001816 Wayside Cross (French)
  17. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM25001815 Pulpit (French)
  18. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM25005046 Painting: Placing in the Tomb (French)
  19. Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM25005045 Painting: Virgin and child (French)
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