Florimont

Florimont is a commune of the Territoire of Belfort depend on the canton of Delle. The village which counted in 1999 403 inhabitants comprised of them 398 in 1803. The communal territory is relatively large: 18,2 km ² and extend on ten kilometers north in the south. Florimont, which was an important seigniory with the Moyen-âge incorporated in its territory the villages disappeared from Normanvillars and from Saint-Andre-in Essert.

The site of Florimont was occupied as of the Roman epoch, probably by a tower of guet charged to supervise circulation on the military way connecting Mandeure in Doubs to Augst and Kembs in the Haut-Rhin. After the creation of the county of Ferrette in XIe century, was built the feudal castle and the fortifications of the village which took importance very quickly. In XIIIe century, the stronghold, which covered also Courcelles, Suarce, Chavanatte, Lepuix-Neuf and partly Faverois, Grosne, Boron, Réchésy, was held by the family of Blumenberg , name German which one can translate by Montagne of the flowers . The ground of Florimont was on several occasions the object of contention between the bishop of Basle and the count de Ferrette. In XVe century, the economic importance of the city is not negligible since it is held to with it a weekly market and two annual fairs, one with All Saints' day and the other Tuesday of Easter. In 1583 a fire destroys the castle which is rebuilt. During the War Thirty Year old, towards 1632, the Swedish troops, which devastated the campaigns around Belfort, plundered the city and the castle which was not concerned its ruins.

During the Revolution, the population of Florimont expressed her attachment for her lord, Xavier de Ferrette by addressing to the Directoire a letter of protest when this one was related to the list of the emigrants and this fact condidéré like traitor with the fatherland. That did not prevent the goods of the family from being confiscated.

The parish church (photo above), which occupies the center of the village, is dedicated to the Virgin. She was built in 1863 to replace the old church of which there remains only the bell-tower (see photo opposite). Already mentioned in 1275, the church of Florimont was additional among that of Courtelevant towards XVe and XVIe centuries.

Saint-Andre-in Essert

This village, of which there remains only the farm of Saint-Andrew, with one kilometer of Faverois, should not be confused with the town of Essert, close to Belfort, although the origin of the name is undoubtedly the same one: a cultivable ground conquered on the forest. At the XVIIe century Saint-Andrew had a church which would have existed already in 1274 and at least in 1466, date on which officiated there a priest. It was restored in 1606 but threatened ruin in 1749. At the end of the XVIIIe century there remained four families of anabaptists and the church had disappeared. The hamlet belongs to the parish of Faverois. In the texts written in German, Essert is germanisé in Schert

Normanvillars

It is probable that Normanvillars disappeared at the same time as Saint-Andrew d' Essert, in second half of XVe century victim of the insecurity which reigned then in the campaigns. In the middle of the XVIIIe century, mennonites, famous to be experienced farmers, take again possession of the places and form a locality depending on the seigniory of Florimont. Currently, the hamlet is summarized with some farms disseminated in a vast clearing in the middle of which a vault is known as Chapelle of Mennonites and a cemetery.

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