La Bosse
Origin of the name La Bosse
La Bosse is reportedly first mentioned in 1330. Under the Ancien Régime the inventories of the archives of the former prince-bishopric of Basel call it « le village de La Bosse ».[3]
Founding of La Bosse
The date and circumstances of La Bosse's founding are unknown. At 949 m above sea level near Le Bémont, the hamlet belonged to the community of Le Bémont in the lordship of the Franches-Montagnes of the prince-bishopric of Basel. Today it is part of the municipality of Le Bémont. Its farmhouses from the 17th to the 19th century form a group regarded as one of the finest built sites in the canton of Jura. Jeanne Froidevaux (1596-1625), an Annonciade nun in Pontarlier venerated locally, was born here. The hamlet's chapel has been dedicated to her since 1719.[1][2][4]
History of La Bosse
1330. Probable first mention of La Bosse.[3]
1596. Jeanne Froidevaux is born at La Bosse on 15 August.[3][4]
1625. Jeanne Froidevaux, who had become Sister Marie-Hyacinthe with the Annonciades of Pontarlier, dies there on 6 December, aged 29.[4]
1637. Her confessor, the Jesuit Étienne Parisot, publishes the « Vie de la vierge sœur Marie Hyacinthe ».[4]
1719. Construction of the chapel of Sainte-Jeanne.[1][3][4]
1868. On 24 January the assembly of the mixed municipality discusses a joint school for Le Bémont and La Bosse.[3]
1879. A hurricane strikes La Bosse on 5 September.[3]
1896. Celebration for the installation of an image of Our Lady of Lourdes.[3]
1897-1898. The chapel is rebuilt and inaugurated on 10 June 1898.[1][2][3]
1960. The hamlet has only 13 houses and 75 inhabitants left.[2]
1975-1976. Restoration of the chapel, with a grant of 15'000 francs from the parish of Saignelégier. The renovated chapel is blessed on 2 May 1976.[3]
1983. Canon Fernand Boillat revives the cause of Jeanne Froidevaux.[4]
2009. The Spanish film « Ispansi » is shot at La Bosse (6 October).[3]
2025. The 400th anniversary of Jeanne Froidevaux's death is marked from 5 to 7 December with a night walk to the chapel.[4]
Population of La Bosse
Sources and references: [2]
| 1960 | 75 |
Historic sites in La Bosse
Chapel of Sainte-Jeanne. Chapel built in 1719 and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1897-1898, dedicated to Jeanne Froidevaux. Its patron is now Our Lady of Lourdes, but a statue of Jeanne stands by the gate and a painting by Marie-Dominique Miserez shows her dressed in white holding a lily.[1][2][4][5]
Group of farmhouses. Farmhouses from the 17th to the 19th century forming one of the finest built sites in the canton of Jura.[1][2]
Legends of La Bosse
Saint Jeanne of La Bosse. Having died in the odour of sanctity, Jeanne Froidevaux is venerated as a saint in the Jura without ever having been beatified or canonised. Her memory remained very much alive until the Revolution, which interrupted the efforts on her behalf. According to local tradition, her birthplace is reportedly the last house on the left on the way up to the chapel.[4][5][6]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Bémont, Le (JU) » (Claude Rebetez)
- Dictionnaire du Jura, « Bosse, La » (Emma Chatelain)
- Denis Moine, Chronologie jurassienne, « Bosse (Le Bémont) »
- cath.ch, « Vénérée dans le Jura, Jeanne de la Bosse n'est pas (encore) canonisée » (Silvia Freda, 16 janvier 2026)
- Unité pastorale Sainte-Trinité, « Sainte Jeanne de La Bosse »
- Jura Tourisme, « Chapelle de la Bosse »
- Statistique Jura, tableau JU-T.01.01.03, population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « La Bosse »
Other villages near La Bosse
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change