Sart

The village of the Sart counts only one about thirty inhabitants (in 1753, it counted only nine inhabitants). It is blotti in the countryside of the commune of Neufchâteau, not far from Hamipré. It extremely probably owes its name with the mode of clearing which gave him birth: essartage.

If it is small, the hamlet has nevertheless its history. A history which goes up far in the past since one can see a Neolithic polishing machine there, imposing block of Quartzite of approximately three tons which relates to its higher face of the more or less parallel grooves, dug by the polishing and the sharpening of the stone weapons and tools. The archeologists think that this Mégalithe can be dated from the end of the Neolithic era (2000-1900 av.JC). This remarkable prehistoric monument discovered in the wood of Assenois is not remained in situ : May 14th, 1956, it is transported, by the care of the Service of the Excavations of the State, in the square located in front of the vault of Sart.

The occupation of the surface of Sart by the Celtes is attested by the presence of imposing a Nécropole, most extraordinary of those discovered in Ardenne.

The first Tombelle is excavated in 1971. It is traditional. A new excavation campaign is carried out in 1985. Beside six tombelles traditional of the 5th century av.JC, the archeologists discover of it ten others, quite posterior, which dating from the 200 av.JC years. One discovers there in particular two children buried in the same burial. These recent tombs are characterized by objects of new forms, in larger quantity (Poterie S, Fibule S, Couteau X) or more restricted (Torque S, Javelot S). This these tombelles is a tomb with tank (the tank of late was buried with its owner). New matters, novel methods, appear for the first time in a Celtic discovery in Ardenne : glass shots, bracelets out of lignite, vases assembled to the turn.

On the Chart of Arenberg of Prévôté de Neufchâteau in 1609, the village of Sart is represented. It counts eight houses.

In 1628, eleven households live in Sart.

August 22nd 1914, at the conclusion of the combat of Neufchâteau, the Germans penetrate at the village of Sart and wildly massacre civilians, including two older little girls of 11 and 14 years killed by balls and with blows of sticks on the body of their father. A German officer killed at the time of the engagements is buried in the vault whose accesses are transformed into military cemetery. This cemetery is unused today. More or less two hundred French and German soldiers fallen at the time of the engagements rest there.

The vault of Sart is known in the area. It remains a long time a goal of walk and even of pilgrimage for Chestrolais. It was built in 1875 by Joséphine Godart, woman of J. - H. Lambert, to shelter a statue of Notre-Dame of the Consolation which, hitherto, was suspended on the trunk of a tree, at the edge of the way connecting Sart to Assenois. A solemn procession, removed towards 1910, went, at the beginning of the church of Hamipré, with the vault the Whit Monday. It was the occasion of rejoicings and merry meetings. In the years 1930, the vault threatening to fall in ruins is repurchased by the Berguet family which yields it in 1991 to a Association to nonlucrative goal of the deanery of Neufchâteau. It is given to new and is inaugurated by the bishop of Namur in 1992.

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