Essoyes
Encyclopedia
Essoyes is a commune
in the Aube
department in north-central France
.
Impressionist
artist Auguste Renoir
had a house in the town. The village, hometown of his wife Aline and model and governess of his children Gabrielle Renard
, is represented in many of his paintings.
village located about thirty miles south of Troyes
, on the banks of the Ource
river. The Ource, a tributary of the Seine
, was well loved by Renoir.
With 650 inhabitants, the thirteen square mile village is found at the center of Champagne's Côte des Bar, on the border of Champagne and Bourgogne
.
The existence of inhabitants at the site of Essoyes on the Ource river can be traced as far back as the time of the Celts. Written evidence of the village first appeared in the ninth century. Molesme Abbey
exerted a strong influence over Essoyes, as the town was solidly situated between Molesme
and Clairvaux
. The town was held under the proprietorship of the Sommievre family until the French Revolution
.
At the center of the town once stood the ancient church of Saint-Remi, among the most remarkable Romanesque
buildings in the Aube
. The church was destroyed in 1855, and the current church was consecrated in 1865. Of particular note are the church's stained glass windows and organ, given by the Heriot family. The church's organ is classified as a historic monument.
Many windmills are found along the Ource. In the mid seventeenth century, paper-making was a major industry in the area, and production continued until the end of the eighteenth century.
On 12 March 1763, Essoyes was ravaged by a fire. At that time, most houses were built of wood, with thatched roofs, and only the few homes constructed of stone were spared.
Only once in its history has Essoyes experienced a division. In 1894, the town of Troyes
took over the property of Servigny as it offered the town a much needed source of water. In Servigny is located an eleventh century edifice that served as a chapel dedicated to Saint Bernard
. Today the chapel is an historic monument. Saint Bernard, the founder of Clairvaux Abbey
, liked to take time to rest in this area between Molesme
and Clairvaux
.
The French Revolution saw Essoyes classified within the district of Bar-sur-Seine
. From the seventh century until 1926, the town was a part of the ancient arrondissment of Bar-sur-Seine. In 1926, Essoyes became a part of the arrondissment of Troyes.
The old château, bought and expanded by Olympe Heriot at the end of the nineteenth century, was bought back by the town in 1836. A school was set up in the left wing of the building, and the tax office in the right wing.
The Darras school, which came about as a private establishment at the beginning of the twentieth century, was later transformed into the rectory in the 1920s. Since September 2001, the building has acted as the town's library and community center.
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 Aube
Aube
Aube is a department in the northeastern part of France named after the Aube River. In 1995, its population was 293,100 inhabitants.- History :Aube is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department in north-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...
.
Impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
artist Auguste Renoir
Renoir
-People with the surname Renoir :* Pierre-Auguste Renoir , French painter* Pierre Renoir , French actor and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir* Jean Renoir , French film director and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir...
had a house in the town. The village, hometown of his wife Aline and model and governess of his children Gabrielle Renard
Gabrielle Renard
Gabrielle Renard was a French woman who became an important member of the family of the painter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, first becoming a nanny and subsequently, a frequent model for the artist. She is recognized as the mentor to Jean Renoir, creating and encouraging his interest in filmmaking...
, is represented in many of his paintings.
Geography
Essoyes is a quiet ChampagneChampagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
village located about thirty miles south of Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, on the banks of the Ource
Ource
The Ource is a long river in northeastern France, right tributary of the river Seine. Its source is in the Haute-Marne département, 2 km south of Poinson-lès-Grancey. It flows generally northwest...
river. The Ource, a tributary of the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, was well loved by Renoir.
With 650 inhabitants, the thirteen square mile village is found at the center of Champagne's Côte des Bar, on the border of Champagne and Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
.
History
Abbé Petel, born in Essoyes, recorded the history of the village in two volumes written in 1895.The existence of inhabitants at the site of Essoyes on the Ource river can be traced as far back as the time of the Celts. Written evidence of the village first appeared in the ninth century. Molesme Abbey
Molesme Abbey
Molesme Abbey was a well-known Benedictine monastery in Molesme, in Laignes, Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, on the border of the Dioceses of Langres and Troyes.-History:...
exerted a strong influence over Essoyes, as the town was solidly situated between Molesme
Molesme
-References:*...
and Clairvaux
Clairvaux
Clairvaux can mean the following:*Clairvaux, a former commune in France, now part of Ville-sous-la-Ferté. It is the home of**Clairvaux Abbey in France**Clairvaux Prison, France, on the site of the abbey*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux...
. The town was held under the proprietorship of the Sommievre family 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...
.
At the center of the town once stood the ancient church of Saint-Remi, among the most remarkable Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
buildings in the Aube
Aube
Aube is a department in the northeastern part of France named after the Aube River. In 1995, its population was 293,100 inhabitants.- History :Aube is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
. The church was destroyed in 1855, and the current church was consecrated in 1865. Of particular note are the church's stained glass windows and organ, given by the Heriot family. The church's organ is classified as a historic monument.
Many windmills are found along the Ource. In the mid seventeenth century, paper-making was a major industry in the area, and production continued until the end of the eighteenth century.
On 12 March 1763, Essoyes was ravaged by a fire. At that time, most houses were built of wood, with thatched roofs, and only the few homes constructed of stone were spared.
Only once in its history has Essoyes experienced a division. In 1894, the town of Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
took over the property of Servigny as it offered the town a much needed source of water. In Servigny is located an eleventh century edifice that served as a chapel dedicated to Saint Bernard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
. Today the chapel is an historic monument. Saint Bernard, the founder of Clairvaux Abbey
Clairvaux Abbey
Clairvaux Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, 15 km from Bar-sur-Aube, in the Aube département in northeastern France. The original building, founded in 1115 by St. Bernard, is now in ruins; a high-security prison, the Clairvaux Prison, now occupies the grounds...
, liked to take time to rest in this area between Molesme
Molesme
-References:*...
and Clairvaux
Clairvaux
Clairvaux can mean the following:*Clairvaux, a former commune in France, now part of Ville-sous-la-Ferté. It is the home of**Clairvaux Abbey in France**Clairvaux Prison, France, on the site of the abbey*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux...
.
The French Revolution saw Essoyes classified within the district of Bar-sur-Seine
Bar-sur-Seine
Bar-sur-Seine is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.Situated on the River Seine, it is just off the A5 autoroute. The town is famous for its castle, the Château de Bar sur Seine.-Geography:...
. From the seventh century until 1926, the town was a part of the ancient arrondissment of Bar-sur-Seine. In 1926, Essoyes became a part of the arrondissment of Troyes.
The old château, bought and expanded by Olympe Heriot at the end of the nineteenth century, was bought back by the town in 1836. A school was set up in the left wing of the building, and the tax office in the right wing.
The Darras school, which came about as a private establishment at the beginning of the twentieth century, was later transformed into the rectory in the 1920s. Since September 2001, the building has acted as the town's library and community center.
Population
Sights
- The Maison de la Vigne, located in the château stables and constructed between 1890 and 1892 by Olympe Heriot
- The workshop of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, constructed in 1905 in the garden of his family home on rue de l'Extra
- The cemetery, where the tomb of Renoir, his son Jean Renoir, and Auguste Heriot can be found
Personalities
- Auguste Heriot (1826–1879), co-founder of the Grands Magasins du LouvreGrands Magasins du LouvreLes Grands Magasins du Louvre, initially Les Galeries du Louvre, a department store in Paris, France, was founded in 1855, three years after its competitor, Le Bon Marché. Under new management as the Société du Louvre, it closed definitively in 1974. At present, the building houses the Louvre des...
- Olympe Heriot (1833–1899), brother of Auguste Heriot, director of the Grands Magasins du Louvre and founder of the Orphelinat-Ecole Heriot
External links
- Communes of the Aube department