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GENERAL INFORMATION Route, opening hours, admission prices , administration
THE EXCAVATIONS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
MUSEUM DE LA VIE d'AUTREFOIS (about life in the past)
GALLO-ROMAN EXCAVATIONS IN JONVELLE (Haute-Saône)
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM and MUSEUM DE LA VIE d’AUTREFOIS (about life in the past)
JONVELLE a charasteristic farming village in the FRANCHE COMTÉ, situated in the meander of the river Saône on the border of three departments , Haute-Saône, Vosges and Haute-Marne.
JONVELLE an old medieaval fortress with castle, two forts, a law-court and a weighing house.
JUNCEVILLA dating back to the start of our Christian era, which is still present in the foundations of a Roman house with a hot and cold bath and a beautiful mosaic.
Photos and maps can be seen on the French part of the website.
GENERAL INFORMATION
ROUTE to JONVELLE: see the link on the French part of the website.
The excavations and both museums are situated at one and half kilometres from the centre
of Jonvelle, on the route to Villars le Pautel.
OPENING HOURS
April 1 up till September 30 Sundays and holidays from 14.00 – 18.00
July 1 up till August 31 open all week, except Tuesdays from 14.00 – 18.00
On request other arrangements are possible for groups
Admission fees 2024: Individuals Groups (minimum of 10)
Adults € 6,- € 5,-
Children 8 – 15 years old € 3,- € 2,50-
Children under 8 years old free free
Administration: The excavations and the musea are managed by the Associaton “Le Foyer”.
Address: Salle Abbé Emile Descourvières
16, Rue Débauchée
70500 Jonvelle
Telephone: 03.84.92.52.72
THE EXCAVATIONS
Jonvelle has been inhabited from time immemorial. In 1980 we found proof of this by the excavations of the remains of a workshop dating from neolithic times just north of the village.
During the course of the first century the Gallo-Roman villa was built, on a hill with a view of the
Saône, near a source.This source is still in use for the watersupply of the village.
In 1954 the Société d'Education Populaire « Le Foyer » was founded in Jonvelle by the inspiring leadership of the parish priest, l'abbé Emile Descourvières, a passionate archaeologist who was well-informed with the local history.
IN 1968 l'abbé Emile Descourviéres and some members of Le Foyer, excavated the remains of the Roman villa. The villa appeared to have a hot and cold bath, floor-heating and an exquisite, completely perfect mosaic. Visitors can admire this all on the spot.
The bath is still in very good condition. It shows very well how private baths looked in rural surroundings in those days. An explanation of the working of the bath can be asked for at the entrance of the museum.
The mosaic is well over one square metre. In a large circle there are flowers, flowerpetals and two
sandals, in the centre you will see four fish and in the corners two large bowls and two dolphins.
In 1992, at a distance of 300 metres from the mosaic, the remains of roofing tiles and a tile-oven, dating from the same period were dug up .
In the museum two books about Jonvelle and the bath are for sale.
Abbé Descourvières: « Vestiges gallo-romains de Jonvelle » . A private publication.
DRAC Franche-Comté: « Jonvelle, les bains d'une villa gallo-romaine en bord de Saône» Editions du Patrimoine. This book is also available in the bookshop.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
In the museum you will find :
objects from the neolithic workshop;
objects from the Gallo-Roman villa;
tools used in daily life in the second century;
coins;
pottery and ceramics, all discovered during the excavations of the villa;
objects and tools found at the Merovingian cemetry of Bousseraucourt, a village at 1 kilometre distance from Jonvelle.
MUSEUM DE LA VIE D'AUTREFOIS (about life in the past)
In 1968 the society Le Foyer decided to take charge of the local heritage.
In April 2011 the first room of the museum was opened. This room contains a variety of objects concerning the old trades and crafts.
Tools for wood- and ironwork, for agriculture are to be seen as well as various objects from the daily life of our ancestors.
At the objects on display you will find clear descriptions of how our grandparents used to work with them.
Wood: It is made clear how they sawed tree trunks at the required length, how clogs and cartwheels were made.
Iron: There was a forge, a cartwright’s shop, a nice collection of the owner Mr. Senille, tin-smith in Jonvelle until 1950 . There are the tools used for the work in the stone-pits of Jonvelle (until 1950).
Small farming implements: a very simple but ingenious vice, the way wheat was threshed and how they winnowed cereals and grain in a nice fan; cigarmaking; winemaking, in Jonvelle a lot of wine was produced from local grapes until a devastating hailstorm made an end to this.
Daily life:
a pleasant collection of children's toys, a game of marbles, gadgets for the preparation of hemp and wool, cooking material, a sauerkrautvessel, various means of transport ranging from a pram, the postman's bicycle to the old man's wheelchair.
In the second room, which will be opened in April 2012, you will come across an Emmenthal cheesefactory, the processing of milk, making butter and creamcheese and a shoemaker's shop.
There are plans for a third room for large agricultural tools, machines and engines, cartwheels and clocks from the factory of JANNEL Frères from Martinvelle, (this factory was in use from 1830-1920).
ABOUT JONVELLE
History
An elaborate book about the history of Jonvelle was published in 1864:
Abbés Coudriet et Chatelet: « Histoire de la Seigneurie de Jonvelle et de ses environs »
Réimpression Laffitte Reprints 1979
After the Roman period Jonvelle was destroyed by the invasion of the Barbarians in the 5th and 6th century. It was rebuilt in the Middle Ages and became an important seigniory. The first Seignior (Lord) of Jonvelle recorded, was Guy I , mentioned in 1124.
In 1378 the powerful Trémouilles became seigniors of Jonvelle. The seigniory fell under the rule of the Dukes of Burgundy and later directly under the French Crown. Isabella of Portugal and Margaret of England didn't hesitate to call themselves 'Dame de Jonvelle'.
In those days Jonvelle was a walled city of 17 hectares, the largest of the province, larger than Vesoul. There was a castle on the south side and there were two bastions on the north side, the Citadel and the Carlinfort. They were one of the most important reinforcements of the duchy of Burgundy, on the borders of Lorraine and Champagne.
In the 16th century Jonvelle fell into the hands of the Spanish king. The castle for instance was badly damaged by the attacks of Tremblecourt. Jonvelle was completely destroyed in 1641 on September 21 by the French troops in the 10-Years' War. The city was set on fire, the castle and the forts were destroyed. Only the remains of the forts and the ramparts, parts of the old wall, part of a castlewall and special stones on the fronts of the various houses are left.
Walks.
A walk through the village is marked out, starting at the church. The description including map and photos is available at the Tourist Office in Jussey, (2, Rue Hotel de Ville).
The church is open every afternoon from April till October. This walk takes you to the old monastery
of St Pierre. You walk past the site of the old 'halls', the old foot-bridge along the Saône, the old
city- and castlewalls, the impressive castlefarm and the old law-court.
Rich architecture
The riches of Jonvelle
the church
From the 12th until the 18th century work on the church went on, you will see Romanesque, Gothic and Flemish parts. The south aisle dates back to the time the monastery was founded. There are a beautiful stained glass window, dated 1868, paintings and statues.
the monastery
Benedictine, founded in 1133 by Guy I de Jonvelle. In 1586 they joined the college of the Jesuits in Dole. It has a beautiful wooden outside 17th century gallery.
the presbytery
rebuilt in 1776, now completely restored, with a garden on the bank of the river Saône.
the ruïns of the castle
The castle already existed in 815 and it has been of great importance . During the 10-Years' war in 1641 it was almost completely destroyed.
the bridge
After the invasion of the Barbarians in the 6th century the inhabitants fled into double bend of the river Saône and started the foundations of present-day Jonvelle: the village of Sainte-Croix, built around the castle, and the village of Saint-Pierre at the foot of the citadel.
It's not hard to imagine that soon the first bridge was built to connect the two villages.
CONTACT
Look on the French part of the Website, under the heading Nous contacter, you'll find a form on which you can send your comments about the website.
LINK
Another website with a lot of information about Jonvelle and the excavations is http://jonvelle.free.fr/