Clamecy, Nièvre
Encyclopedia
Clamecy is a commune
in the Nièvre
department in central France
.
Clamecy is the capital of an arrondissement in the department of Nièvre, at the confluence of the Yonne
and Beuvron and on the Canal du Nivernais
, 46 m. N.N.E. of Nevers
on the Paris
-Lyon
railway.
Clamecy is locally described as the Capital of the valleys of the Yonne
and classified under the French tourist criteria "Station Verte de Vacances" (centre for outdoor activity–based vacations) and among the "Plus Beau Détour de France" (most beautiful routes in France).
Clamecy continued to belong to the abbey of St Julian at Auxerre
until the eleventh century, when it passed to the counts of Nevers and of Auxerre
, one of whom, Hervé
, enfranchised the inhabitants in 1213.
The crusading Count William IV of Nevers
promised the bishop
of Bethlehem
that if Bethlehem should ever fall, he would welcome him in Clamecy. After the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin
in 1188, the bequest of the now deceased count was honoured and the Bishop of Bethlehem duly took up residence in the hospital of Panthenor, Clamecy, which remained the continuous (if somewhat idiosyncratic) seat of the Bishopric
of Bethlehem until the French Revolution
...
The town was sacked and substantially rebuilt in the 14th century during the Hundred Years War.
Clamecy enjoyed great prosperity thanks to the development, by Jean Rouvet, of the 'Flottage du bois', by which timber from the immense forests of the Morvan
national park were processed and floated down river to Paris
. The 'Flottage' which started in the 16th century continued until the beginning of the 20th century (the last floating 'log train' left Clamecy in 1923).
There is also an interesting hereditory link between Jean de Clamecy
(later to become John II, Count of Nevers
) and Henry VIII
of England, via Jean de Clamecy's daughter, Elizabeth of Nevers
, who married John I, Duke of Cleves
and was consequently Anne of Cleves
great grandmother.
The town has evolved in the typical concentric French manner, with a town centre consisting of 13th to sixteenth century houses (still remarkably intact), surrounded by nineteenth century houses and buildings with 20th century developments forming an outer ring.
Its principal building is the church of St Martin
which dates chiefly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The tower and façade are of the 16th century. The chevet, which is surrounded by an aisle
, is rectangular - a feature found in few French churches. After a period of neglect following the French revolution, the church underwent significant restoration under the auspices of Viollet-le-Duc and was classified as a historic monument in 1840.
Of the old castle of the counts of Nevers (site now occupied by the 19th century Mairie), only the vaulted cellars remain. A church in the suburb of Bethléem
(Bethlehem), dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, now serves as part of an hotel.
committee opened a new, contemporary gallery space, in which international and established local artists showcase their work. Resident international Artists include Candl (Czech republic), Horatio Holzbein (UK), Moree
(Netherlands), Jane Witheridge (UK) and Lee Woods (UK). Local artists of renown include Remi Cholet, who is best known for his work with the Moulin Rouge
in Paris.
Clamecy is also home to a well-respected music college.
In the summer months, Clamecy is home to the Festival des Perthuis - a one month long music festival, in which a variety of venues scattered across the town play host to visiting musicians (two or three times a week) catering for all musical tastes.
The afternoon of Bastille day
(July 14) is also the date on which the Tournament du Roi Sec takes place on the Yonne River
at Clamecy. The tournament is a light-hearted, waterborne jousting
competition, in which the last person left standing on their specially adapted rowing boat at the end of the afternoon is crowned 'the dry King', and carried through the streets by his opponents. This activity is only practiced in two other towns throughout France.
Most of this industry mentioned came to an end in the first two decades of the 20th century. Apart from a few modern industrial units on the edge of town and the remnants of a small acetone
production facility, little remains.
Considerable investment by successive local administrations has seen the transformation of the town from a logging centre into a pretty, medieval tourist attraction and favourite tie-up for leisure users of the Canal du Nivernais
, which runs from Auxerre
to Decize
.
The modern economy of Clamecy (and the surrounding countryside), is derived from tourism and agriculture, with a high proportion of inhabitants commuting to larger towns such as Auxerre
and Paris
.
, the population was 4806. On 1 January 2004, the estimate was 4570.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Nièvre
Nièvre
Nièvre is a department in the centre of France named after the Nièvre River.-History:Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
department in central France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Clamecy is the capital of an arrondissement in the department of Nièvre, at the confluence of the Yonne
Yonne River
The Yonne is a river in France, left tributary of the Seine. It is 292 km long. The river gives its name to the Yonne département. Its source is in the Nièvre département, in the Morvan hills near Château-Chinon...
and Beuvron and on the Canal du Nivernais
Canal du Nivernais
The Canal du Nivernais links the Loire basin with the Seine basin following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction....
, 46 m. N.N.E. of Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
on the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
railway.
Clamecy is locally described as the Capital of the valleys of the Yonne
Yonne
Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
and classified under the French tourist criteria "Station Verte de Vacances" (centre for outdoor activity–based vacations) and among the "Plus Beau Détour de France" (most beautiful routes in France).
History
The earliest literary mention under the name of Clamiciacus, a possession of the bishops of Auxerre, is in the bequest by Pallade, Bishop of Auxerre, in 634, founding an abbey in the suburbs of Auxerre, dedicated to the Virgin, Saint Andrew and Saint Julien, martyr, and supported by lands in Clamiciacus and other places.Clamecy continued to belong to the abbey of St Julian at Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
until the eleventh century, when it passed to the counts of Nevers and of Auxerre
County of Auxerre
The County of Auxerre is a former state of current central France, with capital in Auxerre.-History:The first count attested by the sources is one Ermenaud, a companion of Charlemagne who reigned around 770. In 859 Charles the Bald handed over the county to his cousin Conrad II of Burgundy. When he...
, one of whom, Hervé
Hervé IV of Donzy
Hervé IV of Donzy was a French nobleman and participant in the Fifth Crusade. By marriage in 1200 to Mahaut de Courtenay , daughter of Peter II of Courtenay, he became Count of Nevers....
, enfranchised the inhabitants in 1213.
The crusading Count William IV of Nevers
William IV, Count of Nevers
William IV, Count of Nevers, Count of Nevers, Auxerre and Tonnerre .-Family:William was a son of William III, Count of Nevers and Ida of Sponheim, and the older brother of his successor Guy, Count of Nevers. Their paternal grandparents were William II of Nevers and his wife Adelais...
promised the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
that if Bethlehem should ever fall, he would welcome him in Clamecy. After the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
in 1188, the bequest of the now deceased count was honoured and the Bishop of Bethlehem duly took up residence in the hospital of Panthenor, Clamecy, which remained the continuous (if somewhat idiosyncratic) seat of the Bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Bethlehem until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
...
The town was sacked and substantially rebuilt in the 14th century during the Hundred Years War.
Clamecy enjoyed great prosperity thanks to the development, by Jean Rouvet, of the 'Flottage du bois', by which timber from the immense forests of the Morvan
Morvan
The Morvan is a mountainous massif lying just to the west of the Côte d'Or escarpment in Burgundy, France. It is a northerly extension of the Massif Central and is of Variscan age. It is composed of granites and basalts and formed a promontory extending northwards into the Jurassic sea.-Music:The...
national park were processed and floated down river to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The 'Flottage' which started in the 16th century continued until the beginning of the 20th century (the last floating 'log train' left Clamecy in 1923).
There is also an interesting hereditory link between Jean de Clamecy
John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers He was the son of Philip II, Count of Nevers by his wife Bonne of Artois, daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu. From 1442 to 1465 he was Count of Etampes. John's elder brother was also his predecessor in his titles, Charles I, Count of Nevers...
(later to become John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers
John II, Count of Nevers He was the son of Philip II, Count of Nevers by his wife Bonne of Artois, daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu. From 1442 to 1465 he was Count of Etampes. John's elder brother was also his predecessor in his titles, Charles I, Count of Nevers...
) and Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
of England, via Jean de Clamecy's daughter, Elizabeth of Nevers
Elizabeth of Nevers
Elizabeth of Nevers was Duchess of Cleves from 1455 until her death, due to her marriage with John I of Cleves-Mark. She is the matriarch of the house of Cleves-Nevers, and thus the Cleves line of the Counts and dukes of Nevers...
, who married John I, Duke of Cleves
John I, Duke of Cleves
John I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark was Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark.- Life :He was the son of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy...
and was consequently Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
great grandmother.
Sights
The medieval centre of Clamecy has been classed by the French government as a "Secteur Sauvegardé" (protected sector) in entirety; the only such protected area in the whole of the department of the Nievre.The town has evolved in the typical concentric French manner, with a town centre consisting of 13th to sixteenth century houses (still remarkably intact), surrounded by nineteenth century houses and buildings with 20th century developments forming an outer ring.
Its principal building is the church of St Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
which dates chiefly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The tower and façade are of the 16th century. The chevet, which is surrounded by an aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
, is rectangular - a feature found in few French churches. After a period of neglect following the French revolution, the church underwent significant restoration under the auspices of Viollet-le-Duc and was classified as a historic monument in 1840.
Of the old castle of the counts of Nevers (site now occupied by the 19th century Mairie), only the vaulted cellars remain. A church in the suburb of Bethléem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
(Bethlehem), dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, now serves as part of an hotel.
Culture
In recent years, Clamecy has attracted numerous artists from around Europe, who have set up their homes and studios in the historic town centre. In recognition of this, in the summer of 2008, the tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
committee opened a new, contemporary gallery space, in which international and established local artists showcase their work. Resident international Artists include Candl (Czech republic), Horatio Holzbein (UK), Moree
Morée
Morée is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department...
(Netherlands), Jane Witheridge (UK) and Lee Woods (UK). Local artists of renown include Remi Cholet, who is best known for his work with the Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
in Paris.
Clamecy is also home to a well-respected music college.
In the summer months, Clamecy is home to the Festival des Perthuis - a one month long music festival, in which a variety of venues scattered across the town play host to visiting musicians (two or three times a week) catering for all musical tastes.
The afternoon of Bastille day
Bastille Day
Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July of each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale and commonly le quatorze juillet...
(July 14) is also the date on which the Tournament du Roi Sec takes place on the Yonne River
Yonne River
The Yonne is a river in France, left tributary of the Seine. It is 292 km long. The river gives its name to the Yonne département. Its source is in the Nièvre département, in the Morvan hills near Château-Chinon...
at Clamecy. The tournament is a light-hearted, waterborne jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
competition, in which the last person left standing on their specially adapted rowing boat at the end of the afternoon is crowned 'the dry King', and carried through the streets by his opponents. This activity is only practiced in two other towns throughout France.
Economy
Clamecy was once the site of saw-mills, fulling-mills and flour-mills, tanneries, and manufactories of boots and shoes and chemicals. It was known for trade in wine and cattle and in wood and charcoal, which was conveyed principally to Paris, by way of the Yonne.Most of this industry mentioned came to an end in the first two decades of the 20th century. Apart from a few modern industrial units on the edge of town and the remnants of a small acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
production facility, little remains.
Considerable investment by successive local administrations has seen the transformation of the town from a logging centre into a pretty, medieval tourist attraction and favourite tie-up for leisure users of the Canal du Nivernais
Canal du Nivernais
The Canal du Nivernais links the Loire basin with the Seine basin following approximately the course of the river Yonne in a south to north direction....
, which runs from Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
to Decize
Decize
Decize is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Site:The town is situated on a former island in the Loire at the confluent of the Aron river. The right channel of the Loire was dammed up to reclaim land and now remains as an arm stretching upstream to the centre of town...
.
The modern economy of Clamecy (and the surrounding countryside), is derived from tourism and agriculture, with a high proportion of inhabitants commuting to larger towns such as Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Demographics
At the 1999 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the population was 4806. On 1 January 2004, the estimate was 4570.
People
- Jean Rouvet (16th century), responsible for dramatic increase in the prosperity of Clamecy when he launched the first 'rafts' of Morvan timber to be floated down the Yonne river to Paris
- Éléonore de Grandmaison (1620–1692), pioneer in Nouvelle France
- Roger de PilesRoger de PilesRoger de Piles was a French painter, engraver, art critic and diplomat.-Life:Born in Clamecy, Roger de Piles started his career in art as a pupil of Claude François....
(1635–1709), painter, writer, influential art critic, diplomat, spy (allegedly) and painting buyer to Louis XIV - Jean Née de la Rochelle (1692–1772), historian
- André Giroud de Villette (1752–1787), One of a duo, who were the first men to 'fly' - in a montgolfier (hot air balloon), paris, 1783.
- Louis-Antoine-François de Marchangy (1782–1826), writer
- Claude Tillier (1801–1844), political pamphleteer and novelist
- Edouard SeguinEdouard SeguinÉdouard Séguin was a physician and educationist who was born in Clamecy, Nièvre. He is remembered for his work with children having cognitive impairments in France and the United States....
(1812–1880), chemist - Hippolyte Marié-DavyHippolyte Marié-DavyEdme Hippolyte Marié-Davy was a French chemist and inventor of the 19th century. He was born in Clamecy, Nièvre.In 1854, he invented the first naval periscope, consisting in a vertical tube with two small mirrors fixed at each end at 45°...
(1820–1893), scientist and inventor - Gabriel Alapetite (1854–1932), prefect, ambassador and minister
- Romain RollandRomain RollandRomain Rolland was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.-Biography:...
(1866–1944), writer and winner of the Nobel prizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for literature in 1915 - Alain Colas (1943–1978), yachtsman
- Arnaud MontebourgArnaud MontebourgArnaud Montebourg is a French politician, and a deputy of the fifth district of Saône-et-Loire to the French National Assembly for the Socialist Party. He has also been elected president of the local assembly of Saône et Loire after local elections in 2008...
(b.1962), politician
