Regional History
Étival lies in a valley between two mountain ranges that form the
second chain of the Jura. The area is crossed by a sixth century Roman
road, which leads to the lac d'Antre and the Gallo-Roman remains at
Villard d'Heria.
Artefacts discovered at various sites in Etival suggest that there
had been a military installation here rather than a Gallo-Roman village
and so the etymology of the name Etival could derive from Estivax,
meaning the summer quarters used by Roman soldiers.
Probably around 1200, a monastery farm1; or summer monastery (known as a cella oestiva) was established here; from which we might also derive the name Etival.
French villages tended to be built around monasteries or fortified
castles and indeed the region around Étival is known as Le Moustier a
term derived from the word monasterium or monastery. The path to the
village, from the main Roman road, is called La Vye du Moutier
contributing to the thesis that it once lead to a religious house. A
chapel, known as la chapelle de l'Assomption was built here in 1414 and
the fields below it retain the name Sous le Moutier
Around 1230, Hugues and Ponce Cuisel built the first fortified chateau2, close to Etival, known today as the Chatel de Joux.
Lady Claude Françoise de L'Aigle de Laubespin (La Baronne de
L'Aigle), lived here with her husband. She used to stay in Étival and
built a manor house where she spent her final years. She died in 1667
and was buried, close by, in the choir of the chapel where, reputedly,
she remains to this day. Nothing remains of the manor house and it is
probable that its stones provided the material for other building works
in the village.
Towards the middle of the 17th century Henri Marechal modified the
little chapel and began building work on the house. When the last of the
Maréchals died childless in 1813 the house was left to a certain Mlle
Buffet the daughter of Bayard de la Ferté and when she died, the house
came into the possession of the Buffet family. Over the last two
centuries they have gradually converted the house into its present
aspect.
Patrick Bailly-Cowell lived in the Jura since 1977 and lived in the
family home since 2006. He also made the house a "Home for Artists" by
inviting 9 international artists, sound sculptors, video directors,
painters, performers, artists that create installations. He had
exhibited himself, four "Sentinels" in 2008 and three "Coffins" in 2011
as well as a poetic sculpture "KX". This artist, coming from a long line
of artists, died on 17th January 2012, whilst launching the
organisation of the "Jura-Paris Road Centenary" event.
This event will be held in the village of Étival at the very same
family house, which welcomed those three celebrated voyagers in the
month of October 1912, for whom Gabrièle Buffet-Picabia et her Mother
Laurence Huguetau de Challié awaited.
1. La Celle: a lesser building dependant upon a monastery or priory
in which the liturgy is less developed. La Celle may have a purpose of
rural exploitation, in which case we call it a grange monastery.
2. Le château fort de la Joux dates back to 674. Throughout the centuries it served as a defensive place and a refuge in times of various social upheavals-wars of religion, invasions, the Ten Years War, waged against the French for the conquest of France, as well as a refuge for Franche Comté who faught against looters, bandits and soldiers. It was dismantled by the order of Louis XIV in 1668. The armies of Louis XIV invaded the shire. One of the Beaufremont allied with other nobles for the independence of the shire from Louis XIV, Claude Humbert de Mandr, loyal to his country, organized the defense of Étival.
2. Le château fort de la Joux dates back to 674. Throughout the centuries it served as a defensive place and a refuge in times of various social upheavals-wars of religion, invasions, the Ten Years War, waged against the French for the conquest of France, as well as a refuge for Franche Comté who faught against looters, bandits and soldiers. It was dismantled by the order of Louis XIV in 1668. The armies of Louis XIV invaded the shire. One of the Beaufremont allied with other nobles for the independence of the shire from Louis XIV, Claude Humbert de Mandr, loyal to his country, organized the defense of Étival.
