Château et grottes de Milandre
Origin of the name Château et grottes de Milandre
The origin of the name « Milandre » has not yet been explained. The caves take their name from the nearby castle.[6]
Founding of Château et grottes de Milandre
Milandre castle was built in the 13th century by the counts of Montbéliard, at the end of a rocky spur overlooking the Allaine and the entrance of the Belfort Gap. The bishop of Basel Henri d'Isny granted it to them as a fief in 1280, and they surrendered it to the prince-bishop in 1284. Turenne's French troops destroyed it in 1674; only the tower survives. At the foot of the cliff the underground river Milandrine has carved a karst system over 10 km long: the Milandre caves, known since 1715, explored from 1868 and opened to visitors in 1889. The site lies in the municipality of Boncourt.[1][2][6]
History of Château et grottes de Milandre
13th century. The counts of Montbéliard build Milandre castle.[1][6]
1280. On 20 June, the bishop of Basel Henri d'Isny grants the castle as a fief to the counts of Montbéliard.[2]
1282. On 15 May, Thierry III of Montbéliard cedes his county to Renaud of Burgundy, keeping Porrentruy, Milandre, Blamont and Delle.[2]
1284. On 3 April, Renaud of Montbéliard surrenders the castle to prince-bishop Henri d'Isny.[2]
1285. On 7 January, Étienne de Gonzans, lord of Milandre, swears an oath to the prince-bishop.[2]
1612. On 7 June, the archbishop of Besançon authorises the consecration of an oratory in the castle.[2]
1674. The French troops of Marshal Turenne destroy the castle; only the tower survives.[1][2][6]
1715. Discovery of the Milandre caves.[2]
1833. On 11 March, the Milandre estate is put up for sale.[2]
1868. First exploration of the caves.[2]
1889. On 28 April, the caves, fitted out for visitors, are inaugurated.[2]
1949. Discovery of an underground lake.[2]
1965. On 16 October, a sudden flood traps four cavers for 29 hours.[2]
1968. On 21 April, the Spéléo-Club Jura inaugurates an artificial tunnel to make explorations safer.[2]
1988. Restoration of the tower, entered on 24 May in the catalogue of historic monuments of the canton of Jura and inaugurated on 29 October.[2]
2013. On 5 and 6 October, the caves, closed since the early 1980s, open to the public for the National Caving Days.[2]
Historic sites in Château et grottes de Milandre
Milandre caves. Karst system over 10 km long through which the Milandrine flows. Fitted out for visitors at the end of the 19th century, they are no longer open to the public and are reserved for cavers.[2][3][4][6]
La Bâme and the Saivu spring. La Bâme is the flood outlet of the Milandrine, the Saivu spring its permanent outlet.[4]
Pont Kilcher. Bridge of the Milandre mill, rebuilt in masonry in 1781 by Jean-Jacques Plomb under the supervision of the architect Pierre-François Paris, then repaired in 1832 by the owner J. Kilcher.[3]
Remains in Château et grottes de Milandre
Milandre tower. The only remnant of the castle destroyed in 1674, the tower, about 20 m high and nearly 10 m wide, rises at the end of a rocky spur. Restored in 1988, it is protected as a historic monument.[2][5]
Legends of Château et grottes de Milandre
The fairy Arie, Lady of Milandre. According to tradition, the fairy Arie lives in the deep caverns of Milandre. On summer evenings she is said to bathe in the Bâme, leaving her crown on the edge of the pool, and to take the form of a vouivre to keep thieves away. Her iron chest is said to hold gold and diamonds, awaiting a brave young man who will free her.[3]
The White Lady of the tower. Every hundred years, a White Lady is said to appear at the top of the Milandre tower, watching for a rescuer who has never come.[3]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Boncourt (JU) » (Bernard Prongué), version du 25.05.2020
- Denis Moine, Chronologie jurassienne, « Milandre Boncourt »
- Commune de Boncourt, « Lavoir et grottes de Milandre »
- Société jurassienne d'émulation, Cercle scientifique, excursion « La Milandrine » (2024)
- Jura Trois-Lacs, « Tour de Milandre »
- Showcaves.com, « Grotte de Milandre »
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « Milandre »
Other villages near Château et grottes de Milandre
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