Cross (Territory of Belfort)

See also: Cross

Croix is a common French, located in the department of the Territoire of Belfort and the area Franche-Comté.

The commune is administratively attached to the Canton of Beaucourt.

It is located at the extreme south of the department, bordered by the Suisse in the east and by the department of the Doubs in the south. The village developed on a plate which belongs to the solid mass of the the Jura, with 570 meters of altitude approximately. It is the commune furthest away from the sea in France. With the variation of the industrial centers (Belfort is with 31km), it sheltered 143 inhabitants in 1999 whereas it counted of them 204 in 1803 and 327 in 1836 when Beaucourt was in full activity.

According to the legend, holy Dizier and holy Regenfroi would have been assassinated towards 675 at the place where Croix developed. Dizier hardly had planted out of ground a stick in form of cross and had just put himself in prayer which he was attacked by brigands. Before returning the heart, Dizier had time to give the instruction to its Villibert servant, only wounded, to make bury their bodies in the oratory dedicated to Saint Martin's day located at three kilometers more at north. This oratory was at the place where draws up now the church of Saint-Dizier-the Bishop. In 1232, Croix had a church for a long time, that the monks of the Abbaye of Lucelle were charged to repair. The abbey of Murbach had there rights which it yielded in 1274 to Thierry III, count of Montbeliard. This church, become too small at the time of the development of the area of Beaucourt because of the increase in the population, was rebuilt in 1852. Following a fire in 1967, a new modern building was inaugurated in 1971.

Two wells with beam (see photo) were preserved at the center of the village.

Administration

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