Darney
Encyclopedia
Darney is a commune
in the Vosges
department in Lorraine
in northeastern France.
It is located in the Vôge Plateau
, around the location of the source of the river Saône
. Darney is known for its forest of oak and beech trees.
dominating the valley of the Saône. The Romans
built a castle here to control the area, and watch the forested countryside. As a fortified town in the Middle Ages
, Darney had towers and two fortified gates, and was known as the "city of thirty towers". Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine
gave the town its church in 1308. The town suffered during the Thirty years war, being razed by the Swedes led by Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, who were allies of the French, in 1634. The castle of the time was destroyed in 1639. Remnants of this castle still exist, as well as the current, smaller castle, which was built in 1725.
During the First World War
, Darney was the rallying point for Czech and Slovak
volunteers, where they were stationed at Camp Kleber. Due to their presence, on 30 June 1918, Czechoslovakian
independence was proclaimed in the village. The French President, Raymond Poincaré
inspected 6,000 Czech and Slovak legionnaires, before handing over the Czechoslovakian army flag to Edvard Beneš
, Minister of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs within the Provisional Czechoslovak government. This flag became the flag of the 21st rifle regiment.
The former town hall is now a Franco-Czechoslovakian museum, dedicated to Camp Kleber, the Czechoslovakian troops stationed there, and the birth of the Czechoslovakian state.
, also known as Austerlitz, in Moravia
.
Exceptional Darney forest and wilderness assets of Ourche Valley: Oak trees, roe deers, red deers, wild cats. The Ourche river
. Scenic views at La Hutte with peaceful pond and lakes, the old chapel and of course the giant trees of the Arboretum.Scenic views at Abbaye de Droiteval.
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 Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
department in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
in northeastern France.
It is located in the Vôge Plateau
Vôge Plateau
The Vôge plateau is a sandstone plateau in north east France, straddling the departments of Vosges and Haute-Saône, between Vittel, Saint-Loup-sur-Semouse and Remiremont...
, around the location of the source of the river Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
. Darney is known for its forest of oak and beech trees.
History
Darney is built on a promontoryPromontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
dominating the valley of the Saône. The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
built a castle here to control the area, and watch the forested countryside. As a fortified town in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Darney had towers and two fortified gates, and was known as the "city of thirty towers". Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine
Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine
Theobald II was the duke of Lorraine from 1303 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick III and Margaret, daughter of King Theobald I of Navarre....
gave the town its church in 1308. The town suffered during the Thirty years war, being razed by the Swedes led by Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, who were allies of the French, in 1634. The castle of the time was destroyed in 1639. Remnants of this castle still exist, as well as the current, smaller castle, which was built in 1725.
During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Darney was the rallying point for Czech and Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
volunteers, where they were stationed at Camp Kleber. Due to their presence, on 30 June 1918, Czechoslovakian
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
independence was proclaimed in the village. The French President, Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...
inspected 6,000 Czech and Slovak legionnaires, before handing over the Czechoslovakian army flag to Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :...
, Minister of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs within the Provisional Czechoslovak government. This flag became the flag of the 21st rifle regiment.
The former town hall is now a Franco-Czechoslovakian museum, dedicated to Camp Kleber, the Czechoslovakian troops stationed there, and the birth of the Czechoslovakian state.
Twin towns
Darney is twinned with the town of Slavkov u BrnaSlavkov u Brna
Slavkov u Brna is a country town east of Brno in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Population: 5,900. The town is widely known for giving its name to the Battle of Austerlitz which actually took place several kilometres to the west of the town....
, also known as Austerlitz, in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
.
Points of interest
- Arboretum de la HutteArboretum de la HutteThe Arboretum de La Hutte is an arboretum located in the Vallée de l'Ourche, variously described as within the towns of Darney or Hennezel, Vosges, Lorraine, France. It is open daily without charge....
Exceptional Darney forest and wilderness assets of Ourche Valley: Oak trees, roe deers, red deers, wild cats. The Ourche river
Ourche
The Ourche is a river in the eastern France, a left tributary of the Saône. Its valley, the Ourche valley, is well known.- Geography :The Ourche flows entirely within the Vosges. It is the first notable tributary of the Saône, rising at the lieu dit of La Groseillére at Gruey-lès-Surance...
. Scenic views at La Hutte with peaceful pond and lakes, the old chapel and of course the giant trees of the Arboretum.Scenic views at Abbaye de Droiteval.
Natives of Darney
- Antoine ArgoudAntoine ArgoudAntoine Argoud was a French Army officer specializing in counter-insurgency during the Algerian War of Independence...
- Nicolas-Sylvestre BergierNicolas-Sylvestre BergierNicolas-Sylvestre Bergier was a French Catholic theologian. He was a critic of the philosophes, accusing them in particular of distorting the facts on social life in China and Confucianism.-Life:...
- Xavier BretonXavier BretonXavier Breton is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the first constituency of the Ain department, and is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement.-References:...
- Louis MorizotLouis Morizot-Biography:Louis was born in Darney , and worked in Mirecourt, France where he started a family dynasty.Louis Morizot began his apprenticeship with Eugene Cuniot-Hury, before joining the workshop of Charles Nicolas BAZIN....