Located 40 km from Chaumont, the prefecture of the department, the village of Bourmont takes place in Haute-Marne, in the heart of the Grand-Est region. Delegated commune of Bourmont-between-Meuse-and-Mouzon, it is not far from Pisces.
Ancient medieval village, Bourmont appears in the history from the twelfth century. At that time, Via Agrippa, a Roman road from Lyon to Trier, crossed it, thus enabling it to trade with its neighbors in the north and in Italy. Strongly affected by the wars of religion, the village strengthened its ramparts in the sixteenth century before being attached to the kingdom of France in the seventeenth century. Bourmont saw its apogee a century later, before seeing its economy declined with the industrialization of the nineteenth century.
Spared by the two world wars of the twentieth century, the municipality has retained an ancient built heritage that still attracts visitors to the region.
Inscribed in the Historic Monuments, the promenade of the Conna consists of a large alley of lime trees from the middle of the eighteenth century. The whole is decorated with a calvary built soon after and of a Virgin installed here to commemorate a duel.
As you walk through the village, be sure to admire the house of the Bailly, a Renaissance building from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The oldest mansion in the village, it has three parts visible from the outside: the main house with very beautiful gargoyles bearing coats of arms, the wing on the street of the colonel of Baudel, and the old Vatelottes school. The latter has been greatly altered in its upper parts and has long been used as a school for girls.
Opened in the 17th century, the former convent of the Annonciades took place at the time in a group of buildings bequeathed by Gabrielle de l'Isle and her husband Henri de Roncourt. The oldest part dates from the 16th century, it is the old personal house of Gabrielle de l'Isle. One can still admire the chapel, whose facade, remodeled in the 18th century, is typical of the regional style of southern Lorraine, as well as a well erected with the tombstones of former sisters.
Built in the middle of the 19th century, the Saint-Joseph church replaces the Notre-Dame collegiate church of the 18th century. You can discover gothic Neo-Gothic panels, while inside you can admire sculptures by Charonnot. A Limoges enameled way of the cross also circles the building. The building has, however, preserved the portal of the original church of the twelfth century, under the choir of the present monument.
The church of Notre-Dame dates from the 18th century and was used to welcome the former canons of the Mothe-Bourmont. From its square, which serves as starting point for the promenade of the Conna, one benefits from a unique point of view on the valley of the Meuse. Very bright inside, it also reveals a very beautiful marble altar.
Situated at the foot of a cliff equipped for climbing and ruins of the end of the 18th century, the park of the Rocks is a place of walk very appreciated to Bourmont. Picturesque, the site reveals an almost wild nature in a romantic and unique atmosphere.
Do not miss, during the visit, to pass through the Faubourg de France. This neighborhood, which connects Bourmont to Saint-Thiébault, was built between the eighteenth and nineteenth century according to the wishes of Duke Leopold. You can discover buildings of different sizes and aligned, with staggered gables that give an original appearance to the whole.
Housed in the old private mansion of the Bois de Provenchères, the current town hall is worth a detour. The stone facade is not lacking in charm, as is the inner courtyard at the foot of a limestone cliff.
Several marked hiking trails suitable for all levels allow you to discover the built heritage of Bourmont and the local fauna and flora.
