Balsam-the-Ladies

Balsam-the-Ladies is a common French, located in the department of the Doubs and the area Franche-Comté.

Geography

Located between Montbeliard and Besancon on the RN83 and D492, on banks of the Doubs, Baume the Ladies also profits from a highway exchanger on A36, from a railway station on the Belfort-Besancon line and from the Canal of the Rhone in the Rhine.

History

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

Saint Martin's day church

The Saint Martin's day church counts today among the most beautiful monuments of the historical heart Balsam-the-Ladies. It besides was registered with the inventory of the Historic buildings. The Saint Martin's day church was built for the first time at the 9th century. Martin was soldier of the imperial guard of Amiens. He was challenged one day by poor, and in a fraternal gesture, he gave him half of his coat. Consequently holy Martin was made baptize and carried out a life of hermit. One put the church under the patronage of Martin saint, because it had passed to Balsam-the-Ladies and because of its generous gesture.

The church was born from the fusion of two parishes: Saint Martin's day and Saint-Torment. It was rebuilt between 1617 and 1621 in the style neogothic, with stones of country extracted the careers of Combes. This church was built by the architects Perrin and Roussel.

Here, there is no Clocher with Imperial, i.e. with bulb, as in the other churches of the department. In the beginning, there was of them one with a dome and a skylight, which culminated to 68 Mr. But at the time of on July 14th, 1920, the fireworks were drawn since the bell-tower for more sumptuousness, and following an accident, the tower takes fire. And at the time, there was not the concern of rebuilding immediately, because it was necessary to rebuild the dwellings because of the war. One thus left the tower like that. One will thus speak about roof terrace. And it culminates today to 38 Mr.

Abbey church

In the beginning, the Benedictine abbey was founded at the 4th century, thanks to Germain saint, bishop of Besancon. It is at the origin of the birth of Balsam-the-Ladies.

At the 7th century, there was a miracle which contributed to re-elected abbey. It was in fact the girl of the Duke of Alsace, Odile who was blind and as his/her father wanted to kill it, because being blind, it did not deserve the life, his/her mother succeeds in hiding it in this abbey. The abbesses dealt with it. And at the 13 years age, it is made baptize. The bishop had called it Odile because that meant “girl of light”. And when he says to him “In the name of Jesus-Christ, that is to say from now on enlightened eyes of the body and eyes of the heart”, she finds the sight. This miracle thus attracted many people with Balsam-the-Ladies thereafter.

The current abbey church was built between 1738 and 1760 by a Besancon-native architect Nicolas Nicole, thanks to Madam d' Amas, abbess of Balsam-the-Ladies. She was built in the style néo-novel. But work has summers stopped in 1760 because Madam d' Amas had spent her money with many improvidences and did not have any more money to pay the end of work. What explains why Nicolas Nicole had to close by this wall to finalize work. At the beginning, Nicole had envisaged a 44 m length church with a bell-tower porch. Only the chorus is finished and culminates to 24 Mr.

Today, there remains nothing any more but the abbey church. It should be known that front, the abbey was made up of this church, the court and the abbey buildings.

The interior was magnificiently decorated with white marble and pink marble columns of Sampans. The furnace bridge was in invaluable marble of Italy and the flagstones in various stones of color. Furniture was also very luxurious with inter alia the lectern of Nicole, who was moved with the church and whom one will see presently.

She was directed by abbesses. To be an abbess, it was necessary to have the means. It was not no matter who, who could return there. One needed 16 districts of nobility indeed, i.e. one needed 4 generations in the nobility to be regarded as it had.

The abbesses had also an economic activity to make sure of the incomes. Thus, they built a paper mill on Doubs, in direction of Pontarlier. They had also built a bridge on Doubs, which gave access the site. It was a toll bridge, i.e. they made pay the crossing of the bridge to regulate a little the entries and exits in the site of Balsam-the-Ladies.

In 1791, the abbey definitively closes its doors because of the Revolution and also because the abbesses had less money. The totality of furniture and the titles of the chanoinesses were then resold.

Bought in 1811 by the city, it is used then of warehouse, market to the grains, village hall, cinema, garage and this architectural heritage will not be emphasized as it would owe the being.

For a few years, work of masonry has made it possible to consolidate the principal frontage which threatened to crumble.

The interior does not serve today any more a warehouse but it is interdict with the public because of its very decayed state.

Vault of the Holy Sepulchre

This vault was high in 1540 by Baumois, the Pignet canon.

It was built with an aim of accommodating the pestiferous parishioners. It was built in the cemetery, as if the destiny of the patients were traced in advance.

It is of Gothic style, even Gothic late, with a pretty porch with pinion out of frame.

It was restored in 1970-1971 on the indications of the Jouffroy painter, and it was useful until little place burial for the priests the parish which one can still read the names on the flagstones before entering the vault.

The first thing which attracts us the eye while entering, it is the sepulchre which dates from the 13th century, a sepulchre which represents the setting in tomb of Christ. It is a scene which introduces 8 characters. Christ is extended and held by Joseph d' Arimathie, and Nicodème. Behind, one sees the virgin supported by holy Jean, Sainte Madeleine and 2 other women. On the former face of the sepulchre, one sees cherubs which carry escutcheons which represent the instruments of passion (lances, clippers, scales, crowns of spine). These instruments symbolize the suffering of Christ and perhaps the suffering of the patients reached of the plague.

There are two swimming pools, on both sides furnace bridge, which were used for the priest to wash the hands during the mass. They are located at 40 cm of the ground, which indicates that the ground was raised of at least 50 cm, probably following the successive burials. One also notices this raising of the ground thanks to the basic absence with the jambs of the entry.

One can also see (on the right while entering) two busts out of polychrome wooden of share and others of a crucifix, representing the protective saints: Martin saint and German saint. On the left, holy Martin, owner of the parish church. On the right, holy Germain, bishop of Besancon, which according to the legend, would be at the origin of the foundation of the abbey, and whose relics are preserved at the Saint Martin's day church, that one has just visited. They date apparently from the end of the 12th century, and come from the abbey church, demolished at the beginning 18th century.

Rule of holy Acombe, bearded virgin. It is a legend which tells that to escape in advance a little provocative from a pagan prince, the young person and very pretty Acombe begged God to make it ugly. At once, a thick beard pushed to him and the furious and frustrated prince did it crucifier. Its crucifixion is particular because it is attached to the feet and the hands by cords. This virgin was very venerated formerly and one came to see it in pilgrimage since the other end of France.

Personalities related to the commune

Jouffroy d' Abbans, inventor of the first Steamers which functioned thanks to the Steam engine. The first boat was tested on the basin of Gondé of Balsam-the-Ladies.

See too

Common of Doubs

External bonds

Balsam-the-Ladies on the site of the national geographical Institute
Balsam-the-Ladies on the site of INSEE
Balsam-the-Ladies on the site of Quid
Localization of Balsam-the-Ladies on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane Balsam-the-Ladies on Mapquest
Climbing with Balsam-The-Ladies
Balsam-the-Ladies on line (Chamars Place)
Site on the town of Balsam the Ladies

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