Montiéramey

Like the near town of Montreuil-sur-Barse (which also has a quiz game), the local economy thrived for many years on the exploitation of green sand (used in foundries) and a dairy.

Stroll along the many paths through the orchards and discover heritage treasures such as the church and the remains of Montiéramey Abbey.

Original thing to discover: Montiéramey cope, the abbot’s ceremonial cloak, decorated with 49 four-lobed medallions, is now kept in the treasury of the cathedral of Troyes.

This square is also the starting point for the Barse hiking trail (created by the Forêt d’Orient Regional Nature Park). This 8km trail has a 3.7km extension, ideal for a game of mini-golf (18 holes) at Mesnilot (La Mangeoire restaurant).

Even though you’re in the PDO region of the famous Chaource cheese, milk production in the communes of the Barse Valley has been (and still is) a flourishing economic activity for decades. Up to 7,000 litres of milk a day were once pasteurised and sent by rail to Paris.

The miller’s house and the mill stand that you can see today were probably built just after the revolution. The walls of these buildings contain many remains of the abbey church, which was destroyed after the revolution and used as a quarry for materials.

The mill operated until the 1960s. As the turbine, installed at the end of the 19^th century, remained operational, it was possible, after restoration, to transform the milling installation into an electricity production facility connected to the French electricity grid. Of course, given the characteristics of the river, production is modest, but it still represents the equivalent of the electricity consumption of around twenty households.

When the mill was brought back into service at the beginning of 2016, the reach was restored to its original state.

Montiéramey Abbey was an abbey for men founded in the 9^th century in Montiéramey.

It was one of the oldest and largest religious establishments in the diocese of Troyes and was even the key structure for economic development for a very long time.

Benedictine until 1655, the establishment was reformed and affiliated to the Benedictines of the Saint-Vanne congregation until its closure in 1790. Partly destroyed during the French Revolution, the remaining buildings became private property.

Immerse yourself in a world of history, with its narrow streets and houses… Imagine the power of the abbey at its height. The poor people attracted by this prosperity came to give themselves to the abbey and work for it in exchange for material aid and protection from the monks (this is how the neighbouring villages of Mesnilot, Montreuil-sur-Barse and Mesnil-Saint-Père came into being).

Long before it was given over to the fire brigade, this building had several lives. Above all, it bears witness to the history, habits and customs of a time when horses and oxen were used to work the fields and also to get around.

The vast majority of memorials that can be found in towns and cities today were erected after the 1870-1871 war, in the aftermath of the 1914-1918 war. There are over 35,000 of them in France, in more than 95% of French communes (most of them were erected between 1920 and 1925). The names of those who “died for France” in later conflicts are also added.

Each war memorial includes a number of symbols to commemorate and honour the soldiers killed or missing. Here, you can see the olive branch, the cross of war, the oak leaf…

By observing with the attitude and decorum required in a cemetery, find the two graves of soldiers who went missing (Raymond Langelot and Amédéo Comis) during the Second World War behind the pine trees (on your left as you enter).

You have just completed your tour of Montiéramey.

If you enjoyed this walk, do not hesitate to take other quizzes in the other villages of Troyes La Champagne. See you soon.

Photos credits : © NV – Troyes La Champagne Tourisme (unless otherwise stated)