Pimelles
Encyclopedia
Pimelles is a small village nestled in the rolling hills of the French department of Yonne
in north-central Burgundy. Part of the canton of Cruzy-le-Châtel, it covers 10 km². Its present mayor is Eric Zanconato, whose family are long-time residents of the village.
, gave "Pimella" to the abbey of Saint Michael. A Renaissance
-era bridge can be found in the center of town. According to local tradition, workers undertaking 19th century repairs to the bridge found evidence of a Gallo-Roman
battle on the site.
Pimelles is part of the diocese of Langres
and the archdiocese of Tonnerre. Until the French Revolution
, Pimelles was the estate of the Viart family. The former Viart manor house, which was constructed around 1788, now serves as the town hall. Count Louis-Alexandre-Charles Viart de Pimelles rebuilt the village church, Our Lady of the Assumption, in 1781, shortly before the Revolution. Its registered population at this time was 50 households focusing primarily on wood-felling, farming, and viniculture.
The Viart family fled France during the Revolution. They were unable to reclaim the estate after the Restoration. American troops from the 80th (the Blue Ridge) Division were garrisoned in Pimelles during World War I
, and traces of their graffiti can still be found on the walls of some of the houses. Of note, General "Black Jack" Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, inspected and reviewed the entire division near Pimelles on March 26, 1919.
During World War II
, La Grange-Aux-Moines, a dependency of Pimelles, served as one of the headquarters of an element of the Yonne Resistance Movement
. Its members were betrayed, and shot by German occupation forces.
Modern-day Pimelles maintains its traditional agricultural character, producing wheat and rapeseed. Nearby sites include the Renaissance chateaus of Tanlay
and Ancy-le-Franc
and the unique pentagon-shaped château de Maulnes.
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....
in north-central Burgundy. Part of the canton of Cruzy-le-Châtel, it covers 10 km². Its present mayor is Eric Zanconato, whose family are long-time residents of the village.
History
The history of Pimelles dates to at least 1035, when Raynaud, the Count of TonnerreTonnerre
Tonnerre is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin town:* Nenagh, North Tipperary, Ireland-References:*...
, gave "Pimella" to the abbey of Saint Michael. A Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-era bridge can be found in the center of town. According to local tradition, workers undertaking 19th century repairs to the bridge found evidence of a Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture
The term Gallo-Roman describes the Romanized culture of Gaul under the rule of the Roman Empire. This was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman mores and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context...
battle on the site.
Pimelles is part of the diocese of Langres
Langres
Langres is a commune in north-eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne département in the Champagne-Ardenne region.-History:As the capital of the Romanized Gallic tribe the Lingones, it was called Andematunnum, then Lingones, and now Langres.The town is built on a limestone...
and the archdiocese of Tonnerre. 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...
, Pimelles was the estate of the Viart family. The former Viart manor house, which was constructed around 1788, now serves as the town hall. Count Louis-Alexandre-Charles Viart de Pimelles rebuilt the village church, Our Lady of the Assumption, in 1781, shortly before the Revolution. Its registered population at this time was 50 households focusing primarily on wood-felling, farming, and viniculture.
The Viart family fled France during the Revolution. They were unable to reclaim the estate after the Restoration. American troops from the 80th (the Blue Ridge) Division were garrisoned in Pimelles during World War I
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...
, and traces of their graffiti can still be found on the walls of some of the houses. Of note, General "Black Jack" Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, inspected and reviewed the entire division near Pimelles on March 26, 1919.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, La Grange-Aux-Moines, a dependency of Pimelles, served as one of the headquarters of an element of the Yonne Resistance Movement
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
. Its members were betrayed, and shot by German occupation forces.
Modern-day Pimelles maintains its traditional agricultural character, producing wheat and rapeseed. Nearby sites include the Renaissance chateaus of Tanlay
Château de Tanlay
The Château de Tanlay at Tanlay is a French château built in Burgundy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, famous for its beauty and the setting. The walls are of limestone under tall sloping slate roofs à la française, surrounding three sides of a central court with cylindrical towers...
and Ancy-le-Franc
Château d'Ancy-le-Franc
The Château d'Ancy-le-Franc, designed by Sebastiano Serlio and constructed 1544-1550, is one of the sites where the Italian Renaissance was introduced, full-blown, to France...
and the unique pentagon-shaped château de Maulnes.