Raon-aux-Bois
Encyclopedia
Raon-aux-Bois is a commune
in the Vosges
department in Lorraine
in northeastern France
.
Inhabitants are called Raonnais.
. As the name of the commune implies, the district has retained its woodland countryside, with traditional mature timberland in the south and conifer plantations to the north.
A small river, the Niche, crosses the centre of the village on the was to Arches
where it joins up with the Moselle
. The river's source is in the Forest of Humont to the south.
The word 'Raon' is believed to share the same root as the English word 'ravine', and to indicate, in this instance, the confluence
of several streams; here the Champée, the Prés Roussel and the Racine all feed into the Niche.
were left to nature.
Deuring the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there are records of people from Raon repopulating the neighbouring village of Bellefontaine
, which had been abandoned a century or so earlier, probably as a result of plague
.
There are few surviving records of Raon from its early centuries, but it is believed to have been controlled at various times by one of three lordships, while on the ecclesiastical side the church, dedicated to Amé de Remiremont
, fell within the Diocese of Saint-Dié
in the deanery of Remiremont
.
In 1790 the village was placed within the canton of Éloyes
, an arrangement which lasted virtually ten years. The present administrative structure is based on dispositions effected in 1800.
During the nineteenth century and well into the first part of the twentieth century, the village experienced a steady prosperity based on the spinning and starching industries.
, a mountain biker born in 1980 at nearby Remiremont
, grew up at Raon-aux-Bois.
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
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...
.
Inhabitants are called Raonnais.
Geography
Raon-aux-Bois is positioned in the district known as the Vôge, on the western edge of the Vosges MountainsVosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
. As the name of the commune implies, the district has retained its woodland countryside, with traditional mature timberland in the south and conifer plantations to the north.
A small river, the Niche, crosses the centre of the village on the was to Arches
Arches, Vosges
Arches is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.- External links :* *...
where it joins up with the Moselle
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
. The river's source is in the Forest of Humont to the south.
The word 'Raon' is believed to share the same root as the English word 'ravine', and to indicate, in this instance, the confluence
of several streams; here the Champée, the Prés Roussel and the Racine all feed into the Niche.
History
The earliest traces of human activity date back only to the late Middle Ages, suggesting that throughout and beyond the first millennium the thick forest of this part of LorraineLorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
were left to nature.
Deuring the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, there are records of people from Raon repopulating the neighbouring village of Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine, Vosges
Bellefontaine is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France....
, which had been abandoned a century or so earlier, probably as a result of plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
.
There are few surviving records of Raon from its early centuries, but it is believed to have been controlled at various times by one of three lordships, while on the ecclesiastical side the church, dedicated to Amé de Remiremont
Saint Ame
Saint Amatus, also called Saint Ame, was a Benedictine monk.Saint Amatus was a Benedictine abbot and hermit. He was born to a noble family in Grenoble, France, and was put in the Maurice Abbey as a child. After becoming a Benedictine monk, he became a hermit.He went to Luxeuil in 614...
, fell within the Diocese of Saint-Dié
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Dié
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Dié, in Latin Dioecesis Sancti Deodatiis), is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese has the same boundaries as the department of the Vosges. The bishop has his throne at Saint-Dié Cathedral in the town now named...
in the deanery of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
.
In 1790 the village was placed within the canton of Éloyes
Éloyes
Éloyes is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.-References:*...
, an arrangement which lasted virtually ten years. The present administrative structure is based on dispositions effected in 1800.
During the nineteenth century and well into the first part of the twentieth century, the village experienced a steady prosperity based on the spinning and starching industries.
Personalities
Julien AbsalonJulien Absalon
Julien Absalon is a French cross-country mountain biker. He won gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics and at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He rides for the Spanish mountain bike team Orbea. Absalon has 17 World Cup wins. Absalon won four consecutive Mountain Bike World Championships...
, a mountain biker born in 1980 at nearby Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
, grew up at Raon-aux-Bois.