Cousance is a commune in the Jura department, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, 20 km south-west of Lons-le-Saunier.
Bordering the Saône-et-Loire department to the west, its 6 km² territory ranges from 196 to 330 m in altitude. On its "eastern" part, the locality belongs to Revermont, a natural region which announces the Jura massif, while on its "western" part, it is part of Bresse.
The village appeared in the Middle Ages (first mills established on the course of the Gizia, church), and became the capital of the barony of Chevreaux which soon established a castle there. It faced invasions over the centuries, until the region was attached to France.
Focused on agriculture, Cousance nevertheless took advantage of its location on the road linking Strasbourg to Lyon (inns and markets or fairs were established during the Old Regime). Small industries were established even in the 19th century.
Nowadays, the town has preserved a heritage of interest and a green environment where the vines have however disappeared. There are about 1300 inhabitants in Cousance which justifies a stage between Bresse and Revermont...
A discovery of the village, at the foot of the first foothills of Revermont, makes it possible to observe several sites and elements of heritage of interest.
On the religious level, such is the case of the Saint-Julien church, whose foundations date back to the 13th century (Gothic style), and which was remodeled in the 17th century. We should also mention the small chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Chêne, to the northwest, founded around a statue of the Virgin brought back from Rome by a shepherd, and that of Notre-Dame-des-Anges, to the southeast. of the town. All were raised in the 19th century. The second now hosts exhibitions.
On the civil level, on the Grande-Rue, the fortified castle which demonstrated the power of the barons of Chevreaux was built from the 13th century. However, wars and sieges (led by Louis XI in 1477, Henri IV in 1595, Louis XIII in 1637) ended up getting the better of the place... First consolidated (its towers having been razed) in 1660 by Claude Damas, lieutenant general in the land of the Dombes, husband of the heiress to the barony, remodeled in the 18th century, it was acquired in the 19th century by an industrialist from Lons-le-Saunier under the First Empire. Protected as historical monuments, the castle sports a neo-classical and sober style, a triangular pediment surmounting the center of the facade. Inside, mention is made of the interior staircase with a beautifully crafted banister, the vestibule and the lounges with preserved decorations and paintings (18th century). Outbuildings at right angles have made it possible to form a beautifully laid out courtyard. The still private property is not open to the public but can be observed from the outside.
Several old mills (from the 18th and 19th centuries), one of which was transformed into a spinning and turning mill, old winegrowers' houses with cellars or vaulted cellars, traditional Bresse farmhouses (elongated and low) also dot the town and the neighboring countryside.
The market square (where the market halls used to be) and its fountain, recently embellished by a local artist, are a must see.
For sports enthusiasts, tennis courts can be reserved with the local club (contact on +33 6 84 40 57 82) and the En Lune leisure park, in another register, lends itself to family outings with its areas games.
For hikers, the town is the starting point for circuits of interest, whether to follow the banks of the Gizia, to explore the wooded hillsides once covered with vines or to walk in the plain, to the west, whose landscapes are already typical of Bresse…
Routes allow you to reach certain "curiosities" such as the "repressed Gizia" and its wealth in terms of fauna and flora or natural belvederes which invite you to enjoy these singular landscapes between plain and mountain. Maps and information on +33 3 84 48 76 79.
