Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The borders of the Mirebeau forest, located in Mirebeau-sur-Bèze, date from the 3rd quarter of the 16th century. These stones bound the communal woods and those belonging to the seigneury of Mirebeau. They are marked with arms of the Chabot-Longwy and Mirebeau, with the date 1578 engraved on each. Nineteen markers were identified, measuring approximately 26 cm x 36 cm x 75 cm, of which 40 cm emerged from the ground. Their north face bears the coat of arms of Mirebeau and the date, while the south face bears the coat of arms of the Chabot and the Longwy, surrounded by a necklace evoking the order of Saint Michael.

The mounds are spread over several places in the forest: nine in the Cognolais, four in La Recurbe and the Baraks, and two in the Fenottes. They bear witness to the seigneurial and forestry organization of the time, where the boundaries of the territories were materialized by stone markers. These pillars, classified as Historic Monument in 2010, also illustrate the symbolic importance of the coat of arms and nobiliary distinctions, such as that of François Chabot, Marquis de Mirebeau, knight of the order of Saint-Michel.

Their preservation allows to understand the local history and the relations between lords, communes and forests in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. They also recall forest management practices under the former regime, where property and use rights were strictly limited. Their study sheds light on 16th century rural and seigneurial life, marked by a rigorous territorial organization and symbols of power visible in public space.

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