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Patrimoine & Culture
HORTES
📍 Haute-Amance, Haute-Marne
· 52600 Haute-Amance
À propos
Hortes joined Montlandon, Troischamps and Rosoy-sur-Amance to form the commune of Haute-Amance in 1972. Situated on the borders of the kingdom, Hortes suffered from the various conflicts of the 15th and 17th centuries. Hortes is the birthplace of Clément Macheret (1575-1660), chaplain of Saint-Pierre and rector of the Langres Hospital, parish priest of Hortes from 1637 to his death, who wrote a valuable diary for historians, recounting the memorable events of his time in Langres and the surrounding area. He gives a detailed account of the region's misfortunes: wars, fires, massacres, famines, plague epidemics?
This ancient village was built on relatively fertile land.
The origin of its etymology comes from a feminized form of the Latinhortus (garden). The oldest traces of human presence date back to the Middle Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. They include tools (scrapers, knives, notches, etc.) and flint or rock chips. These various periods of prehistory have been established thanks to meticulous research by Claude Gouspy, a schoolteacher in Hortes (1966).
It's difficult to pinpoint the period when the concentration of the village itself took place. Gallic, Roman? The Romans certainly passed through the southern Haut-Marne region. They even settled here. There is no trace of fortified remains at Hortes.
There are, however, two mardelles. These would have been dug to water horses. The barbarian period followed. Then, after Charlemagne, the village of Hortes appeared in an 886 charter. This charter confirms several donations made to the Bishop of Langres. Religious wars, Croatian, Spanish and Swedish invasions
terrorized our region.
In 1140, Marcellin d'Hortes and his brother Eudes are mentioned as lords. It was a time when monasteries flourished in the hollows of our valleys. It was also a time when castles were being built to ensure the lords' security and that of their farmers. Marcellin did not return from the Crusades. In 1155, Marcellin's son Gui de Hortes is mentioned.
In the 15th century, the secular estate passed to the de Thons family (lord of Torcenay), then in the 16th to the Livron de Bourbonne family, including François, lord of the estate until the French Revolution.
In Hortes, a street mentions a castle, but the traces have not been confirmed. In the early 18th century, the inhabitants were persecuted for witchcraft. In 1733, mention is made of Gabriel de Giey, baron de Hortes, de Giey et d'Arbigny. The Revolution brought its share of disasters. Under the Restoration in 1814, the population was terrorized by the passage of thousands of men, during which requisitions and looting were sadly remembered. Only the war of 1870 completely spared the village.
In 1914, our country went to war with Germany. A few days later, Hortes was the scene of a sad mobilization movement. Varennes was the main center. In 1918, Hortes became a command center for American troops.
Unusually, black men were stationed at Val de Presles. At the start of the Second World War, the population felt somewhat protected by the famous Maginot line, but one morning in May 1940, the population soon became aware of the extent of the hostilities. The Hortes viaduct was the target of enemy bombs. A hundred of them hit, but the viaduct was not damaged. On May 15, a second attempt by German aircraft failed again. Following alarmist reports on June 15, and repeated bombardments of military convoys throughout the region, the inhabitants decided to leave the country. Hortes became a ghost town. The exodus begins. On June 16, the enemy occupied the village. Several Hortes men took part in this conflict and were active in the Varennes-sur-Amance maquis. At the end of 1943, German troops left the village, but it remained under the surveillance of a German gendarme. This war left painful and unforgettable traces of the deportation and death of some of the inhabitants. Hortes was liberated around 11 a.m. on September 14, 1944.
This ancient village was built on relatively fertile land.
The origin of its etymology comes from a feminized form of the Latinhortus (garden). The oldest traces of human presence date back to the Middle Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. They include tools (scrapers, knives, notches, etc.) and flint or rock chips. These various periods of prehistory have been established thanks to meticulous research by Claude Gouspy, a schoolteacher in Hortes (1966).
It's difficult to pinpoint the period when the concentration of the village itself took place. Gallic, Roman? The Romans certainly passed through the southern Haut-Marne region. They even settled here. There is no trace of fortified remains at Hortes.
There are, however, two mardelles. These would have been dug to water horses. The barbarian period followed. Then, after Charlemagne, the village of Hortes appeared in an 886 charter. This charter confirms several donations made to the Bishop of Langres. Religious wars, Croatian, Spanish and Swedish invasions
terrorized our region.
In 1140, Marcellin d'Hortes and his brother Eudes are mentioned as lords. It was a time when monasteries flourished in the hollows of our valleys. It was also a time when castles were being built to ensure the lords' security and that of their farmers. Marcellin did not return from the Crusades. In 1155, Marcellin's son Gui de Hortes is mentioned.
In the 15th century, the secular estate passed to the de Thons family (lord of Torcenay), then in the 16th to the Livron de Bourbonne family, including François, lord of the estate until the French Revolution.
In Hortes, a street mentions a castle, but the traces have not been confirmed. In the early 18th century, the inhabitants were persecuted for witchcraft. In 1733, mention is made of Gabriel de Giey, baron de Hortes, de Giey et d'Arbigny. The Revolution brought its share of disasters. Under the Restoration in 1814, the population was terrorized by the passage of thousands of men, during which requisitions and looting were sadly remembered. Only the war of 1870 completely spared the village.
In 1914, our country went to war with Germany. A few days later, Hortes was the scene of a sad mobilization movement. Varennes was the main center. In 1918, Hortes became a command center for American troops.
Unusually, black men were stationed at Val de Presles. At the start of the Second World War, the population felt somewhat protected by the famous Maginot line, but one morning in May 1940, the population soon became aware of the extent of the hostilities. The Hortes viaduct was the target of enemy bombs. A hundred of them hit, but the viaduct was not damaged. On May 15, a second attempt by German aircraft failed again. Following alarmist reports on June 15, and repeated bombardments of military convoys throughout the region, the inhabitants decided to leave the country. Hortes became a ghost town. The exodus begins. On June 16, the enemy occupied the village. Several Hortes men took part in this conflict and were active in the Varennes-sur-Amance maquis. At the end of 1943, German troops left the village, but it remained under the surveillance of a German gendarme. This war left painful and unforgettable traces of the deportation and death of some of the inhabitants. Hortes was liberated around 11 a.m. on September 14, 1944.
