Pompierre

Pompierre
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Pompierre
Location within Lorraine region Pompierre
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine
Department	Vosges
Arrondissement	Neufchâteau
Canton	Neufchâteau
Intercommunality	Association of Neufchâteau Country communes
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Bernard Thouvenot
Area1	12.42 km2 (4.80 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	240
• Density	19/km2 (50/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	88352 / 88300
Elevation	303–445 m (994–1,460 ft) (avg. 312 m or 1,024 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Pompierre is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.

Geography

The village lies on the border with the adjacent Haute-Marne department 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Neufchâteau and 13 kilometres (8 mi) across country from Robécourt which is the nearest access point for the A31, Lorraine's principal south-north highway.

Pompierre (formerly Pont de Pierre) is traversed by the Mouzon River which is here crossed by the bridge from which it takes its name.

History

Situated on the line of a Roman road, the village gets its first mention in connection with a conflict between two grandsons of Clovis (himself often seen in France as the first French king). In 577 Saint Gontran, king of Burgundy clashed with Childebert, the king of Neustria at 'Pont de Pierre'. The event was commemorated with the construction of a chapel. The chapel was replaced in the twelfth century with a church which contains sculptures that recall the encounter between the two kings.

In 1741 Jean-Baptiste de Lavaulx, lord of Pompierre, Sartes, Courcelles and Dolaincourt ordered the construction of a castle which can still be seen today.

See also

• Communes of the Vosges department

References

• INSEE