Vesoul

Coordinates: 47°37′23″N 6°09′21″E / 47.623055°N 06.155833°E / 47.623055; 06.155833
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Vesoul
Town Hall
Town Hall
Coat of arms of Vesoul
Location of Vesoul
Map
Vesoul is located in France
Vesoul
Vesoul
Vesoul is located in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Vesoul
Vesoul
Coordinates: 47°37′23″N 6°09′21″E / 47.623055°N 06.155833°E / 47.623055; 06.155833
CountryFrance
RegionBourgogne-Franche-Comté
DepartmentHaute-Saône
ArrondissementVesoul
CantonVesoul-Est and Vesoul-Ouest
IntercommunalityVesoul
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Alain Chrétien
Area
1
9.07 km2 (3.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)
15,637
 • Density1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
70550 /70000
Elevation213–375 m (699–1,230 ft)
(avg. 220 m or 720 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Vesoul is a commune. It is the prefecture of the Haute-Saône department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

Geography[change | change source]

The Haute-Saône is a rural department and is based around five towns: Vesoul (the prefecture), Gray, Héricourt, Lure and Luxeuil-les-Bains. The Durgeon and Colombine rivers flow through the commune.

History[change | change source]

Vesoul is first mentioned in a document dated 899. That document speaks about an elevation with a fortified watchtower. The document speaks about "Castrum Vesulium". Castrum is a fortification, and "Vesulium" has the syllable ves which meant hill or mountain in a language that was spoken before the Celts. Today, there is a castle that forms the centre of the city. The first houses were built inside the walls of the castle. Newcomers who found no place settled outside the city walls, on the flanks of the hill. Growing wine was popular. In 1814, after the fall of the empire, a buffer state was created, with Vesoul as capital. The principality was that of Free County, of the Vosges and of Porrentruy.

Today, one of the main factories of PSA Peugeot Citroën is near Vesoul.

Culture[change | change source]

Monuments and tourist attractions[change | change source]

Library[change | change source]

The first public library of Vesoul opened in 1771. The abbé (abbot) Bardenet, superior of the Saint-Esprit hospital in Besançon, gave his book collection to the town. There were 1772 books. The collections became a lot larger with the Revolution. At that time, the revolutionaries (people who led the French Revolution) took the books from the monasteries of the town (capucins) and even of the region (Luxeuil and Faverney monasteries). Around 20,000 books were added to the library this way, including some 11th century manuscripts. The Mayor's office was responsible for keeping the books.

In 1981, the municipality decided to build a new building to encourage the public to read. The library recently got computers. There are around 200 manuscripts and 150 incunables.

Twin towns[change | change source]

Vesoul is only twinned with one town:

Demography[change | change source]

Change in population
(Source : INSEE,[1] Ehess[2])
179318001806182118311836184118461851185618611866187218761881188618911896190119061911
530354175708539154085887678859416621728175797614771692069553973397701008397041016310539
Change in population
19211926193119361946195419621968197519821990199920062007
1047110859115621192611825120381367816352181731841217614171681637016329

References[change | change source]